LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap._ Copyright No. 

Shelf.__._'_K-'3 

UNiTED STATES OF AMERICA. 



MAY 4 1900 



SERMONS 



FOR EVERY SUNDAY 



IN THE YEAR 



DEDICATED 



TO HIS FELLOW-STUDENTS 



By the Author, 



Rev. B. J. Ray croft; A. M. 




NEW YORK & CIXCmATI. 
I^r. FXJSTEX ac Co. 



1900. 



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IRibil ©bstat : 



TWO COPlEii jrtiioElVED, 

Library of Coii(M«% 
Offloe of tbt 

86C0ND COPY. ^ »:: U 



REV. JAMES BRENNAN, 

Censor Beputatis. 



"^^ 



\ 



(X^ 



ffrnprimatur : 



>^ T. MULLEN, 



Bishop of Erie. 



Erie, July 15th. 1899. 



58714 



CoPYKTfJHT 1900, By rev. B. J. RAYCROFT 



I 



PREFACE. 

In the dedication of this volume of Sermons, the 
Author is pleased to be able to offer a small tribute 
to the memory of other days. It was his good for- 
tune to have his fellow-students for his friends ; and 
as time rolls down the slopes of oblivion, the friendship 
which he entertained for them, grows stronger and 
dearer. They are now scattered over the vast extent 
of our beloved country. Some are dead ; and surely 
death never summoned to the shores of eternity any 
mortals more generous of heart or more noble of soul. 
Were they living, they would welcome this feeble effort 
with that kind appreciation which they so often and so 
magnanimously bestowed upon the Author during his 
school days. Others are still engaged in the activities 
of life, winning the laurels they so well deserve. To 
the living and the dead the Author dedicates this his 
first literary effort, as a token of esteem and affection. 

As to the merits and faults of these Sermons, the 
reader is the judge. They were written after they 
were delivered, with the intention of retaining the same 
thoughts and the same language as were employed in 
delivery. This is difficult to accomplish, and conse- 
quently some may be rigid and heavy. There is one 
for every Sunday in the year. The text is taken from 
the Gospel of the occurring Sunday. Since they were 
written at intervals, there may be a similarity of thought 
found in some of them, due to forgetfulness of what had 

been previously used. Moreover, in reviewing thern, 

3 



4 PREFACE. 

the Author's time was broken into fragments, so that 
he could not preserve in his mind the train of ideas 
pervading them. 

He wrote them for pastime and self-improvement. 
He does not claim any superiority for them, but hopes 
they may suggest deeper veins of finer composition. 
His experience is, that even a poor book often awakens 
many a sublime idea. If this volume possesses such 
a virtue, he will not regret that he mustered up courage 
to publish the following pages. 



FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 



And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in a cloud 
with great power and majesty. (St. Luke xxi. — 27.) 

My Dear Friends : Our holy Mother the Church 
endeavors to impress upon our souls, on this the first 
Sunday of the ecclesiastical year, that there are other 
affairs besides temporal concerns, which should be of 
great moment to us. In an admirably instructive man- 
ner, she closes the ecclesiastical year and opens the 
new, by solemnly inviting us to consider the last judg- 
ment ; and teaching all mankind who will listen to her, 
that the first and last thought of our daily consider- 
ations should be on the awful subject which she pre- 
sents on the last Sunday of Pentecost and the first of 
Advent, for our contemplation. She expresses the same 
wish as Almighty God does in the book of Deuteron- 
omy : " Oh, that they would be wise, and zuoiild u?iderstand, 
and would provide for the last end. ( xxx i i . — 29. ) 

Since you meditated last Sunday on the last or uni- 
versal judgment, it is not my purpose to-day to dwell 
upon that awful trial involving so much terror and so 
much joy ; but to request you to weigh well another 
theme of no less- importance to you. This is, indeed, 
the more important, for upon it depends the sorrow or 

the happiness of the other. Yes, the particular judg- 

5 



6 FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

ment, the one which follows immediately after death, 
determines your position on the last day ; and on this 
account its importance cannot be overestimated, *' In 
the end of man is the disclosing of his works!' (Eccli. 
xi. — 29.) What were those works ? This is the appall- 
ing question which you will put to yourselves when 
death approaches you — when you will be balancing on 
the brink of eternity. What have I done ? each one will 
ask himself. What have I done, which I should not 
have done ? What have I not done, which I should 
have performed ? Terrible questions ! Overawing 
moments ! 

The agitated soul trembles while it attempts to turn 
from the past and hide itself from the future. Life is 
ebbing fast — every struggle, every mental torture pro- 
duces more exhaustion. The poor body quivering 
under the mighty strain, is reluctant to part from the 
spirit, shudders at the thought of separation, feels the 
soul departing, and recoils in its unconscious efforts to 
delay the extinction of life. The terror-stricken spirit 
hesitates, but must obey the summons which bids him 
hence. Passing through the portals of poor human 
dust, he takes one last farewell of that lifeless body 
which was his companion during the few years of 
earthly life ; from a temporary existence he enters into 
eternity. On the threshold he pauses to take one last 
sad glance at the frail, dead body. They are parted. 
Death is there ; and after death, judgment, Jesus, who 
died for him, is now his Judge. The soul must answer 
for every thought, word, deed, and omission done in 
the flesh, in violation of the divine law. The damp, 
cold moisture of death is still on the brow of the dead ; 
friends still are weeping and praying around the couch 
of death, while the soul stands before the tribunal of 



FIKST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 7 

the Most High. What will be the sentence ? Will a 
merciful Saviour be compelled, by His immutable jus- 
tice, to declare the troubled soul fit only for the regions 
of the damned ? Will He say to the soul : " I have 
loved you as a fond father loves his child ? Here, look 
at the prints of these nails in the palms of My hands, 
and say not that I am unmerciful toward you. I have 
desired that you would share My glory ; I created you 
for eternal happiness, but you have damned yourself. 
Depart from me, si?iful, ivretched spirit — misery, endless 
misery is your doom ! " 

Whatever may be the sentence, we know not, except 
that it will be in conformity with the life acted out on 
earth. Merits and demerits will be weighed in the 
scale of eternal justice ; and as the balance inclines, so 
will be the sentence pronounced. Therefore, *' Take 
ye heed; watcJi and pray : for you k?iow not when the time 
isT (St. Mark xiii. — 33.) Happy it will be at that 
moment for those who fortified their souls with the 
armor of good works ; who guarded with the shield of 
grace the entrance to their souls ; whose ambition was 
heaven ; whose ally was God. What joy for such when 
a benign Saviour welcomes them with truest friend- 
ship ! When with amiable words He addresses them: 
''Come, ye blessed of My Father; possess the Kingdom pre- 
pared for you from the foundation of the world!' (Math. 
XXV. — 34.) All the troubles of earth passed and a crown 
of eternal glory won. Immeasurable joy ! Everlasting 
bliss ! 

The happy soul will especially rejoice, because it 
served God. Now, in heaven it is conscious ; it has an 
unclouded vision of God ; it understands better His 
goodness, and wonders how human creatures could 
offend so good a Being. Life was only a short appren- 



8 FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

ticeship. It had its vexations, its heartaches, its eni- 
mies ; but now these are all forgotten ; or, if remem- 
bered, they are only considered stepping-stones which 
led to the Kingdom of Heaven. The trials of life have 
been woven into bays for the Christian conqueror ; and 
tears shed in the bitterness of life, sparkle now in the 
crown of Christian virtues. Where is the Catholic who 
cannot strive for the same pure happiness ? He has 
not greater obstacles to surmount -; life is no more 
bitter for him, than it was for innumerable other souls 
who won the laurels of heavenly victory. But the 
highest object which any person should have in striv- 
ing for Christian perfection, his highest aspiration, 
should be God. All else is, in a measure, selfish. A 
Catholic ought to rise higher than this ; he should rise 
to a devout contemplation of God ; and every other 
duty of life should be subservient to this noble ambi- 
tion. This conduct will assuage many of the ills to 
which humanity is heir ; will effect a happy judgment 
and win an eternal reward. 

Now, everyone of you know that you must die. 
You believe that immediately after death, sentence 
is pronounced. You believe that you will be 
rewarded or punished according to your works. Does 
it not, therefore, behoove you as intelligent beings, to act 
your part on earth, that you may have no reason to 
regret when the curtain of life drops and the veil of eter- 
nity is withdrawn ? You must live as a devout Catholic, 
if you desire a happy death. The uncertainty of life 
should dissipate all temerity. Do not be so foolish as 
to say to yourselves, *' There is time enough." What 
ingratitude to God ! What folly toward yourselves ! 
Is this the manner you would serve God ? Do 
you think that God and heaven are not worthy 



FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 9 

of all your best efforts, and these to be incessant ? 
A vile price you would set on your God. Cheap, in- 
deed, you would intend to purchase heaven. 

" Time enough! " Well, then, there may be sufficient 
of it in hell for Catholics who talk thus. You would 
give to God the remnant of a wasted life, of abused 
virtue, of an unchaste body, of a polluted soul ; but 
mark you, God may not accept your degraded offering. 
Remember, too, those things you squander are not 
yours. You must render an account of them. They 
were given you for your benefit ; you have used them 
for your destruction. They were blessings ; but you 
have converted them into curses, which you have 
heaped upon your own head. Yea, you have not only 
done this, but you have debased and corrupted others 
who were innocent until you taught them sin. 

" There is time enough ! " Beware, then, lest a mer- 
ciful God grow impatient, and empty the vials of His 
wrath upon you. Preposterous to think that such 
Catholics can be saved. God will not save you with- 
out your own co-operation ; but, when you will not only 
not co-operate, but will persist in your wicked ways, 
destroying yourselves and contaminating others, your 
end will be miserable and your judgment replete with 
woe. 

How can a Catholic expect that God will listen to 
him in his affliction, when he has so often sneering- 
ly said, " Time enough " ? He wishes to give Almighty 
God a constitution shattered by sin ; he craves pardon 
for offenses, when he is so much of an imbecile that 
he cannot offend any longer. He implores mercy 
when he knows he never showed mercy to anyone. 
His sordid soul never aspired to Christian virtue, 
never meditated upon his duties toward his God. 



lO FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENt. 

His aspirations were sin ; and his meditations, the ruin 
of others. Covetous, selfish, uncharitable, he listened 
not to the wail of hunger nor the cry of distress. 
Now death approaches. Now there is not time enough. 
On his death-bed he entreats God's compassion. Yea, 
he who knew not pity, now turns to God. Will God 
receive this immoral, selfish wretch ? this person 
who boasted, "There was time enough"? May not 
God's words written in the Book of Proverbs be veri- 
fied : " / will laugh in your destruction^ and will mock when 
that shall come to you which you feared!' ( I -26. ) 

Everyone offends God more or less, but the atone- 
ment should not be delayed until old age. This period 
of existence will never be seen by many. No one has 
promised you a long life ; and even had you such a guar- 
antee, you ought not to squander time, especially in any 
sort of dissipation. Time is given for noble purposes. 
It should be employed in doing good here, thereby 
meriting a blissful reward. If you desire, therefore, to 
die in peace with your God, live in peace with Him. 
If you wish your transit from this world to another to 
be without the horrifying distress of remorse, let your 
behavior be according to true Catholic principles. 
No doubt, all of you are desirous of a favorable judg- 
ment ; then prepare — prepare that your sentence will 
be light and your joy unbounded ; prepare, for you 
know not when the Son of Man cometh. 



SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 



What went ye out into the desert to see ? A reed shaken 
with the wind? (Math. xi. — 7.) 

By these words, my dear friends, our Divine Lord 
chides the persistency with which the Jews sought to 
oppose His teachings. They were solicitous to dis- 
cover opposition against Him from some quarter. If 
St. John the Baptist declared against Jesus as the 
Messiah, it would give them a better opportunity for 
arousing the people against the doctrine taught by our 
Saviour. But Jesus, knowing their intentions, asked 
them: " What went ye out into the desert to see ? A reed 
shaken with the wind?" In other words, He inquired: 
'' Did you suppose St. John to be changeable, a waveri?ig 
person, unstable, a?id contradictory ? Did you think him a 
reed to be be?2t by every wave of popular opinion f You 
. were mistakeji, for St. John is sincere, firm, and uiibendingin 
the truth. He is greater than a prophet; ' for this is he of 
whom it is written : behold I send My angel before thy face, 
who shall prepare thy way before thee! " (Math. xi. — 10.) 
Mark here the wisdom of Our Lord in not addressing 
these words to the Jews while St. John's disciples were 
present, lest the former would take occasion to say 
that our Saviour wished to flatter St. John before his 

disciples ; that St. John in turn might say good words 

u 



12 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

of Him. He waited until after the disciples' departure, 
to rebuke the Jews and eulogize St. John. That St. 
John was unwavering and steadfast in adhering to the 
right, is shown by his imprisonment. He dared 
reprimand Herod, though the rebuke deprived him 
first of liberty and subsequently of life. 

Now, my Christian friends, may we not with profit 
apply a part of this text to some of ourselves ? We 
admit there are many Catholics like St. John the 
Baptist, unfaltering in their faith and staunch in the 
practice of the same. It is with laudable pride we say 
that many Catholics are devout in the exercise of their 
religion, and hesitate not to profess it when duty de~ 
mands them to do so. They are honorable in their 
deeds ; they are unswayed by caviling opinion ; in faith, 
they are massive oaks, not shaken reeds. In the affairs 
of life, they avoid giving scandal. They refrain from 
dishonesty, deception, or intrigue, lest their sins be in- 
terpreted to the belittlement of their Church. In all 
matters in which honor, probity, or integrity is con- 
cerned, these Catholics are as firm as these rocks upon 
which the surrounding hills are built. They are a 
benificent example to other Catholics, while by their 
sanctity they elicit the admiration of all honest people. 

But, alas! and it is with most profound regret we say 
it, there are many Catholics who resemble the reed. 
Their daily actions induce one to believe them insin- 
cere, and sometimes even dishonest. They are Cath- 
olics in name ; but in human dignity, in great-spirited- 
ness, the very pagan would make them blush, if indeed 
they have not forgotten how to manifest this effect of a 
wounded conscience. We shall not now enter into an 
investigation of their conduct — social and civil ; but 
invite you to consider the indifference, sometimes the 



SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 13 

disgusting manner, in which they perform their spiritual 
duties. You will see a Catholic come into church and 
attempt a genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament. 
The act of respect thus shown is simply a contortion, — 
is an insult to our Divine Lord mystically veiled in the 
Holy Eucharist. Why have they not the courage of 
their convictions ? They say they are Catholics ; per- 
haps they would be insulted, were you to call them any- 
thing else. But why not demean themselves as devout, 
sincere members of the Church in which they claim 
membership ? There may be several answers given to 
this question ; still there is one which, judging from 
observation, would induce you to presume these Cath- 
olics are ashamed. Ashamed ? Yes ; ashamed to adore 
their Lord in a proper, Christian manner. They think, 
Were they to make a becoming genuflection, that some 
people would comment upon it because they were 
exhibiting too much piety. This is particularly true 
when they invite Protestants to their pews. Such 
Catholics are reeds which bend to the notions of others, 
or what they suppose to be their notions. They are 
cowardly and unreliable. I would not confide to a 
person anything of importance, who could be so easily 
swayed by the captious opinions of others. Being 
ashamed to comply with the teachings of the Church, 
they would also be inconstant in social, political, or 
business life. What do their Protestant friends think 
of them ? What can they think of them ? Why, were 
they consistent Protestants, they should say : " These 
Catholics are not sincere. They admit their belief in 
the Real Presence ; but did we profess such a doctrine, 
we would have the consistency, not by our demeanor 
to mock, but with true humility to adore. They seem 
to be thoughtless ; their genuflections appear to be 



14 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

made from unconscious habit ; their hearts are not in 
their expressions of devotion. What do they mean ? 
We fear they either do not understand their religion, 
or they are embarrassed by our presence, and are there- 
fore cowards to duty." In this manner would unbe- 
lievers in your religion soliloquize about the acts of 
faith, hope, and love, manifested by such in their style 
of genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament. 

How often have you seen a Catholic after entering 
his pew, make the sign of the cross in a most ridicu- 
lous form. While he is performing this sublime act 
which recalls to a reflecting Catholic the passion and 
death of Jesus and the redemption of the humpn race, 
he stares at the people on every side of him. Ex- 
amine his countenance, and you will draw the conclu- 
sion that he knows not what he is doing. His is a 
noble manifestation of intense devotion, a sublime 
expression of gratitude to God, an exalted tribute of 
thanksgiving to his Creator for all the blessings con- 
ferred ! He ought to be ashamed of himself : because 
his actions are indicative of his senseless devotion, as 
well as gross stupidity. What opinion can any thought- 
ful Protestant or Catholic form of him ? And how 
mortifying it is to note the conduct of this sort, when 
non-Catholics are in our churches. What opportun- 
ities are thus given to our Protestant friends to crit- 
icise, to ridicule, to abuse our religion. Nay, more ; 
how many Protestants they drive away, who would 
become earnest Catholics, were the deep-meaning acts 
of Catholic devotion done in a thoughtful, devout, and 
loving manner. A Catholic who so deports himself, 
whether a man or a woman, a child or a youth, sets a 
pernicious example to all, and injures himself. He 
may think his conduct in church smart ; but his smart- 



SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 15 

ness is like his ignorance — very dense. It may be 
that he is induced to this sort of deportment by a 
constant menace of what some carper may say, were he 
to act in an edifying manner. " He is grown pious," 
some one may say ; "See how devout he is," another 
will remark. A third will add, " With what prompt- 
ness he attends Mass, and with what edification he 
prays." He fears these. They are poisonous barbs of 
criticism, piercing his delicate sensibilities. The truth 
is, in all these various defects he indicates that he is a 
weak reed. He is not faithful to anything except to 
his inconsistencies and to perseverance in wrong- 
doing. Can any person of this calibre be trusted 
in the hour of need or trial ? Is he a person in whom 
you would place unqualified confidence ? Is he true to 
himself or to another in whose service he labors ? I 
shall leave himself answer. Now, compare him to a 
courageous, uncompromising Catholic. The latter is 
both punctual and faithful in the performance of his 
religious exercises. Though strangers be present, or 
though he be in a strange place, he falters not in his 
devotion to his God. It is unnecessary to remark 
here that a Catholic should not assume a sanctimonious, 
long face, or appear peculiarly odd. A person who 
would thus parade his piety, would be going to the 
other extreme. When we speak of a devout Catholic, 
we mean one of well-balanced principle, not a fanatic. 
The former is ever unflinching in his duty, whether 
it pertains to himself, to another, or to God ; nor does 
he incite adverse criticism. On the contrary, he is 
respected by all — Catholics, Protestants, and infidels. 
These know him to be reliable, sincere, and dauntless. 
His promise is sacred, his conduct unimpeachable, 
his fidelity without blemish, He is no reed blown 



16 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

hither and thither by every blast of superficial opinion. 

There is another point which is worthy of your 
consideration. It sometimes happens that Catholics 
and Protestants or unbelievers room together. The 
Catholic, when alone, always says his morning and 
night prayers ; but in the company of non-Catholics, he 
will not kneel in prayer. He is embarrassed because 
a Protestant or one having no religion at all is present. 
Is he not a weak-minded Catholic ? He imagines 
such an act of devotion to his God to be disagreeable 
to his companion or companions. His conscience tells 
him he should say his prayers, yet his timidity prevents 
him. His companions do not understand Catholic 
doctrine ; and therefore, will be shocked at seeing him 
on his knees. Here is another example of the reed. 
A weakling, he is without stability enough to over- 
come such cowardice. He is, in fact, a craven — a 
person without resolution and without honorable pur- 
pose. What will his Protestant comrades say of him ? 
They have seen other Catholics pray alter rising in the 
morning, and before retiring to rest in the evening ; 
but this one does not. Why the difference ? The 
others they knew to be always upright, unfaltering, 
honorable. Of this one, they cannot say so much. 
If he believes in prayer, still does not comply with 
his convictions ; if he is a Catholic, yet ashamed of 
his religion, — he is a parasite without determination 
and without dignity. 

These cringing Catholics are never admired. They 
are ever regarded by prudent men, as insincere, 
cowardly, and unreliable. These Catholics would, 
were a favorable opportunity to offer itself, stoop to 
the meanest undertakings, in order to achieve their end. 
Did religion intervene between themselves and office 



SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 17 

or distinction or wealth, they would spurn everything 
sacred, rather than loose the glittering bauble. Were 
their own advancement thereby enhanced, they would 
not hesitate to violate honor, pledge, confidence, and 
even religion. But their ambition is worthless. It 
has not the requisites for success. Such may prosper 
for a time ; but when about to clutch the longed-for 
prize. Almighty God stretches forth His all-powerful 
Arm, and they recoil, dismayed, defeated, and debased. 
Let us learn a lesson from the text. Let us, with 
indefatigable energy and application, strive to be true 
Catholics. *' Then it follows, as night the day, that we 
cannot do wrong to anyone." If we have been 
derelict in duty ; if our conduct has been censurable ; 
let us now, during this holy season of advent, cast 
down our follies and defects, and put on the spirit of 
righteousness, so that we may not be supine reeds, but 
worthy on Christmas morning, with genuine Christian 
devotion, to welcome with joy and thanksgiving the 
sublime feast of Christ's birth. 



THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 



/ am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. (St. 
John i. — 23.) 

On last Sunday, my dear friends, you heard our 
Divine Lord's eulogy of St. John the Baptist. To-day 
you learn from the same source, St. John's opinion of 
himself. In last Sunday's Gospel Jesus said that St. 
John the Baptist was greater than a prophet — that he 
was an angel : '' For I shall se?id My angel before thy face, 
who shall prepare thy way for thee ^ St. John, in the 
humility of his heart, tells us he is not worthy to 
loosen the latchet of his Divine Master's shoe ; that 
he is simply the voice of one crying in the wilderness 
— preparing the people for the sublime doctrine of the 
Son of God. He baptized unto repentance. He labored 
to arouse his hearers to a compunction for their sins. 
In the earnestness of his appeals, he hopes to bring the 
Jews to a sense of their duties, and to impress upon them 
the horror of their transgressions. In their midst stood, 
however. One Who would give to mankind a baptism, 
a sacrament, which would have the mysterious efficacy 
of purifying from sin. It is for Him St. John is 
preparing the way. His voice cries aloud m the 
wilderness for the Jews to listen, be converted, and 
welcome the dawn of Christianity. 

18 



THffiD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 19 

Now, may we not, with propriety, apply tliis text to 
every priest in every church throughout Christendom? 
On this third Sunday of Advent the Catholic Church 
everywhere exhorts her peoples to hearken to her voice. 
Her clergy, in every land, implore their congregations 
to prepare for the sublime feast of Christmas, by 
receiving worthily the sacraments ; she entreats them 
to welcome with pure hearts and innocent pur- 
poses the anniversary of their Saviour's birth. The 
priest is the voice of the Church — the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness. And what a wilderness it is ! 
The wilderness of sm and corruption ! The vices of men 
have shot deep roots into the soul. It is with difficulty 
they are uprooted. Sometimes it requires almost a 
miracle of God's mercy to withdraw persons from the 
mire and poison of sin. This is the wilderness choking 
every pure emotion of the heart, and obscuring with 
darkness the lofty operations of the intellect ; this is 
the wilderness which brings pallor to the cheek, 
dimness to the eye, filth to the tongue, and feebleness 
to the soul. 

We are, nevertheless, told that a priest must be 
cautious in speaking of the sins of society ; that he 
should express himself with the nicest discernment ; in 
fact, that he must remain silent while his flock is running 
headlong to perdition — lest perchance he offend the 
delicate sensibilities of one whose soul is tarnished 
by the foul fumes of impurity or drunkenness. Some 
may be so imprudent as to say he learned this knowl- 
edge through a source which forbids him to speak with 
vehemence and lucidity. Well, my dear friends, it is 
only when a priest is outside his own parish, that he 
learns the truth of the saying, " If you want to hear what 
is going on at home, go away from home." On trains, 



20 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

and in other towns, a priest finds out more about his 
own people than he could ever discover at home. He 
hears with regret of licentiousness in his own parish ; 
and is pained to learn of the disgraceful conduct of 
others who have left their Father's house. They do not 
salute a priest now. They have outlived this custom, 
this token of respect. Such would not do now. Their 
associations are changed. Comments would be made. 
They would rather not be considered Catholics. The 
truth is, an honorable Catholic would be ashamed of 
them ; and a priest, knowing the infernal lives they are 
leading, could not venture to recognize them. They 
have assumed more style in dress and gait. They are 
changed ; but, alas ! what a deplorable change ! From 
under the old roof, they went forth with modesty upon 
their cheek and honor upon their brow. Life was 
young, hope was ardent, and ambition was unsullied. 
In the brief period of a year, what a sad transformation 
of character ! The heart is no longer pure — filial 
affection is destroyed ; and could you read the con- 
science, you would discover heinous sins branded 
thereon. They imagine that society is generally 
ignorant of their guilt ; but ere long the veil will be 
torn aside, and they will stand degraded. In their fall, 
even shame will blush at their crimes, while their family 
will be dishonored and disgraced. Should they never 
be unveiled, ought they not have some honor, some 
decency ? Natural morality, it seems, would be 
sufficient to restrain them somewhat from their pre- 
cipitous indulgence in sin. The pagan would hesitate 
to tarnish his soul with the excesses of which some 
Catholics boast. But, no ; early training, lessons of 
virtue, attachment to home and friends, the rebukes 
of innocence, the appeals of virtue — all are inadequate 



THIED SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 21 

to calm the passions or sober the senses ! Yea ; and 
Catholics will allow themselves to be decoyed into 
the meshes of impurity by Protestants or by those hav- 
ing no faith at all. They are sought out by those classes, 
and fall victims to flattery, affable manners, and gentle 
ways ! Fie upon such Catholics ! Where is there 
manhood or womanhood ? Do they not understand 
that in their absence these ruffians speak of their soft- 
ness, while they extol their own conquests ? Poor, 
deluded Catholics ! Slaves'to your enemies ! You are 
Catholics, and this is the virtue of Catholic girls and 
Catholic young men ? Oh ; you can go to confession 
again, and have all your sins forgiven. Ah, ah, ah, 
how soft ! Did you hear the sport made of you, human 
indignation would assert itself, and you would awaken 
before it is too late. Were this double life never 
disclosed, there would be, in the end, little consolation 
in the concealment. There is truth in the words of 
the poet : 

" I waive the quantum o' the sin, 
The hazard o' concealing ; 
But, och ! it hardens a within, 
And petrifies the feeling." — Burns. 

The fine emotions of the heart, the delicate sensibil- 
ities, are banished from their native home, while the 
fog of dissipation settles upon the intellect, rendering 
it unfit for the grand achievements for which it was 
created. 

When away from one's parish, he hears of the 
disorders going on there. The youth are engaged in 
questionable enjoyments — some of them sinful. He 
is grieved at what he learns ; but must he remain silent 
while the devil is devouring the flock entrusted to his 
care ? Amidst this wilderness, is he not to raise his 



22 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

voice ; and with entreaty and rebuke, exhortation and 
reprimand, drive back the contagion of sin ? He is 
not ? Then he had better cast off his sacred robes 
and cease to be the shepherd of his people. No ; a 
priest must be fearless. He must do his duty, though 
attacked by criticism as unfair as it is injudicious. 
His revilers will live to praise him for his unflinching 
efforts, or lament they did not obey his advice. 

Young people should have definite principles of 
conduct. They ought to train themselves to walk in 
the path of virtue ; never to swerve from it. Honesty, 
chastity, and sobriety must constitute their motto, if 
they will succeed in life. Catholics are respected by 
many Protestants ; but if they abuse the confidence 
placed in them, they bring disgrace upon themselves 
and injury upon others. Their Church is judged, too, 
from their actions ; yet there is not enough of Christian 
character in some Catholics to love their Church, or to 
honor themselves by a spotless life. A young man or 
a young woman ought to conduct himself or herself, 
at home and abroad, with a decorum at once simple, 
honest, and honorable. When you go away from home, 
resolve that, though it be twenty years before you 
again cross the threshold of your father's house, your 
return will bring no scandal to your friends, nor any 
embarrassment to your parents' declining old age. 
Be determined — keep your resolution ; then the grace 
of God will abound in you. Temptations will come, 
but virtue will be the result of temptations. Trials 
will test you ; yet out of the struggle you will come 
forth fortified with new vigor and rewarded with the 
consciousness of your success. What is a grander 
example of fortitude than to see a 3^oung Catholic 
battling with sin, surrounded by the enemies of honor, 



THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 2B 

but still wearing the bays of victory ? As he or she 
appears to you, so is the soul. Neither leads a double 
life. In every avenue of action you may recognize 
them, and not bring disgrace upon yourselves by the 
recognition. In every position of trust or distinction, 
fidelity to upright principle is the guardian angel 
who directs their steps and points them to success. 
Lecherous sins do not emaciate their bodies or rob 
their intellects of brilliancy or power. 

There are other sins in the wilderness to which we 
have metaphorically referred, and against which a 
pastor of souls must time and again raise his voice. 
Of these, we shall mention no more at this time ; yet 
we earnestly entreat you to prepare for the great feast 
of Christmas. If some of you, during the year, have 
entered this wilderness, where nothing abounds but sin, 
awaken to a knowledge of your weakness and your 
peril — beg God to give you the grace of repentance. 
With the tenderness of a most affectionate father. He 
extends His arms to you ; He offers you His blessings 
— the blessings of peace, the blessings of a pure heart, 
the blessings of a glorious Christmas ! Can you refuse ? 
Can you deny His appeal as He points to the Crib at 
Bethlehem and directs your eyes to the Cross on 
Calvary ? He knows your frailties ; He understands 
the delusive influence of the tempter ; He is not 
ignorant of your most secret sins ; still He asks you to 
return, and He will pardon all. 

Now, my dear friends, let you listen to His benign 
invitation ; let you repent ; let you confess your sins, — 
then God will bless you, and Christmas morning will be 
a happy one for you all. Your pious example will be 
an encouragement to many to return from the wilder- 
Qess of sin into which thev have straved. You will be, 



.24 THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

by your Catholic piety, stars directing others to Jesus 
in the crib, in the tabernacle upon our altar. You will 
be messengers of peace to them, wiping away sadness 
from their countenance and remorse from their hearts. 
Ah ! you will be leading them to the fountain of grace, 
while you will be enriching yourselves with the 
approbations of heaven. Then your hearts will be 
joyful, and you will be capable of joining your voices 
to those of the angels, and with an immaculate soul sing 
. Gloria in Excelsis Deo ! 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 



Every valley shall be filled^ and every mountain ai7^ hill 
shall be brought low ; aiid the crooked shall be made 
straight, and the rough ways plain. (St. Luke iii. — 5.) 

My Dear Friends : As the inspired writer teaches 
us, the word of God came to St. John the Baptist in 
the desert. Almighty God commanded him to preach 
and baptize. He was to exhort the people to penance, 
that they might be worthy of the sublime teachings 
of Jesus, who was about to employ the last three years 
of His terrestrial life in promulgating a higher civili- 
zation, and a more perfect religion than the world had 
known. The mission of St. John was to fill up the 
valleys caused by sin ; to bring low the mountains and 
hills of crime ; to make the crookedness of the heart 
straight, by driving therefrom deceptions and deceits ; 
to smooth the path of man's life by destroying the 
roughness of man's excesses. He was chosen by 
omnipotence for this purpose. By entreaties and 
admonitions, he was to arouse the people from their 
sinful lethargy and awaken in them a new life — a life of 
love and union with their Redeemer. A new order of 
things is to be instituted, a new Church established; and 
in order that the dawn of anobler civilization maybe wel- 
comed, the people by their penance must render them- 
selves acceptable. To dispose the people for the 

25 



26 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

Gospel to be preached by our Saviour, was the 
mission entrusted to St. John. By doing penance, 
he set the example ; and by the exercise of penance, 
the people were to become children of the New Dis- 
pensation. 

During these weeks of Advent, my dear friends, 
you have been, in compliance with the will of the 
Church, performing works of penance ; you have 
been preparing yourselves for the great feast of Christ- 
mas. Many of you have been a source of much edifi- 
cation. You have mortified yourselves according to 
the rules laid down by our holy Mother the Church ; 
and to add to this exemplary conduct, you have 
nourished your souls with the food of life — the Sacra- 
ments of Penance and Holy Eucharist. I am pleased 
to be able to congratulate you, and am proud of the 
fact that so many have, by their devotion, exhibited 
such grand appreciation for the anniversary of the 
Redeemer's birth. You have made the crooked ways 
straight, and the rough ways plain, for the worthy 
celebration of the sacred feast. You have banished 
sin from your souls, have knelt in thought before the 
Infant of Bethlehem, and crowned the year's labor by 
receiving Him into your hearts. 

But, oh, how many Catholics there are whose only 
ambition is to be drunk on Christmas ! The over- 
mastering thought of their souls is to have a good time, 
as they term it — a good time which only brings des- 
olation to their homes, reproach upon their Church, 
curses upon themselves. A good time ! Is drunken- 
ness and contentions and murder, what you call a good 
time ? To see your children sorrowful and your wife in 
tears ; to see your sister ashamed of you and your 
mother's heart breaking on account of your behavior ; 



FOUETH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 27 

to see these terrible things on the magnificent feast of 
the New-born King, do you call good ? Instead of 
preparing for Christmas in a truly Christian manner; 
instead of planning to bring joy to their homes, such 
Catholics are meditating how they can, by their 
disorders, cause sorrow and gloom to settle upon their 
families on this glorious day of peace to men of good 
will. Will these attend Mass on that day? will they go 
to church, and with innocence of heart adore the Infant 
born for their salvation? No ; their minds are bent upon 
a different celebration — a celebration fraught with degra- 
dation to themselves and miseries for others. To the 
mountains of sin and crime already recorded in their 
souls, they long to heap others. Upon the rugged ways 
of their life they desire to strew thorns by neglecting 
themselves and their families. In what marked contrast 
is their behavior with that of those whose preparation is 
edifying and commendable. With pure intentions, with 
unsullied conscience, the latter hear the pealing of the 
Christmas bells calling worshippers to the adorable 
sacrifice of the Mass, while the former are reveling in 
debauchery. 

It is, indeed, laudable for Catholics to receive the 
sacraments at this time of the year. In this manner 
they are making earnest efforts to sanctify themselves, 
in order that they may be suitable to join their voices 
with those of the angels, and praise the Son of God for 
all His favors. At this time, moreover, the old year is 
rapidly expiring. Since its birth, numerous are the 
sins committed by every Catholic against his God. In 
the soul, mountains and hills of sin have arisen. Valleys 
have been cut therein by the departure of God's grace, 
leaving chasms where once God's grace abounded. 
Deceptions have made the ways of the heart crooked. 



28 FOUETH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

Others have been injured by us ; but the injuries thus 
perpetrated have made our paths rough and thorny. 
Now is a commendable opportunity to return once 
more to the Saviour of humanity. The Babe of the City 
of David has given ample means to us for the accom- 
plishment of all that St. John the Baptist so ardently 
desired to effect. Our Lord in His love for fallen man 
instituted the sacraments. Among them is one for the 
remission of actual sin ; in another, He gave Himself 
to us to be our strength and consolation. In the Sac- 
rament of Penance is achieved effecually what St. 
John labored to execute. Here, truly, every valley is 
filled, every mountain brought low, the crooked made 
straight, and the rough ways plain. Here sin is 
banished from the soul. The mountains of vice and 
corruption, the mighty barriers to God's grace, are 
demolished. The valleys of the heart are filled with the 
benedictions of heaven. The crooked made straight 
by our sorrow and restitution. The rough ways, the 
ways which we have trod, which we made rough, on 
which we were tortured on account of our own follies, 
these all are now plain. The absolution of the priest 
falling upon a contrite penitent, has expelled the 
enormities of the soul ; God's peace reigns therein. 
Mountains and hills and valleys have disappeared. A 
disturbed heart finds rest and solace in the mercies 
of its God. A sinner rejoices in the goodness of 
heaven. An enemy of God is now overjo3^ed in the 
contemplation of the feast to be celebrated in a few 
days. In the depths of a grateful heart he longs to 
commemorate the birth of Him Who loves mankind 
with an imperishable steadfastness. Christmas brings 
him joy, to which he was long a stranger, and the Child 
Jesus was not born in vain. 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 29 

But, ah ! ponder well in your hearts the astonishing 
favor bestowed upon those who, at this solemn season 
of the year, receive in Holy Communion that same 
Infant who was born in Bethlehem. In commemoration 
of the birth, a Catholic has the inexpressible delight of 
being the recipient of the Saviour of the world. Oh, 
what an inestimable favor ! Oh, what an extraordinary 
mystery ! How inexplicably kind the ways of God ! 
St. Joseph was blessed in being His foster-father ; 
the shepherds and wise men were honored by the 
audience they obtained ; but Catholics may welcome 
Him into their hearts. 

Will you who have not yet perfected your souls for 
the approaching feast, allow this holy season to pass 
without availing yourselves of this wonderful oppor- 
tunity offered to you ? Can you suffer Christmas to 
come and go without you receiving the Sacraments ? 
Do you intend to mar the feast by your unrestrained 
indugences ? If you do, you are not consistent 
Catholics. You disrespect the favors offered you 
by Almighty God. You will heap dishonor upon 
yourselves, and wrong your families ; you will re- 
ject the blessing of the Babe in the manger, and fling 
insults at Him and at heaven. The feast proclaims the 
redemption of mankind ; the Church unites with the 
angels in singing : ** Glory to God in the highest^ peace to 
men of good will!' Shall we refuse to join our voices to 
the acclamations of praise and thanksgiving expressed 
by every good Catholic ? Shall we be so ungrateful as 
to forget the sacrifices made for us ; to ignore all the 
sacred remembrances collected around the Crib of 
Bethlehem ? Nay, we shall not be such base ingrates ; 
but shall foster a veneration for the day, which will 
be meritorious for ourselves, gratifying to our holy 



30 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. 

Church, edifying to others, and pleasing to our Divine 
Saviour. 

In order to accomplish these truly Christian works, 
prepare yourselves by the worthy reception of the sac- 
raments. In the practise of this devotion, others will 
imitate you. They shall be induced to follow your 
Catholic example. You shall be as angels, conducting 
them to the New-born King. In the tranquillity of a 
stainless soul, they shall kneel, and together with you, 
worship the Child Jesus. Do not hesitate, nor post- 
pone the realization of so great blessings. Christmas 
is a time of holiest inspiration. The day suggests so 
many fond recollections ; Our Lord invites us to partake 
of its true joys. Let us make the feast one of happi- 
ness for ourselves, and peace and good will to others. 
By celebrating the day in a Catholic manner, then 
you will not bring ruin and sorrow upon yourselves. 
Christmas will then, indeed, be merry, and in the merri- 
ment there will be no bitter alloy. The day after will 
not be one of remorse, or regretful recollections. On 
the contrary, you will thank God for the abundance of 
His graces which assisted you to pass the feast in the 
enjoyment of innocent amusements and the perform- 
ance of ennobling virtue. » 



SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 



Behold this Child is set fo?- the ruin of many. (St. Luke 
ii.— 34.) 

My Dear Friends : This awful truth at first, pros- 
trates the powers of the soul and fills it with bewilder- 
ment. Astonishing, is it not. that Jesus who died for 
the human race, should be the ruin of many ? His 
mission was, you think, to elevate, to civilize man, to 
point him to higher ideals ; but we learn from the Gos- 
pel of to-day, that He is set for the destruction of many. 
Holy Simeon said to Mary, His Mother: '' Behold this 
Child is set for the ruiji aiid resurrection of many in Israel^ 
and for a sign which shall be co?itradicted.'' In one 
prophetic vision this holy man saw the future. He 
discerned how many would abuse the love which Jesus 
entertained for them ; and of which he gave proofs 
upon the cross. He distinguished the countless 
myriads who would revile that divine Person ; who 
would blaspheme His holy name ; who would deny Him, 
and even persecute those who followed His sacred 
standard. Overpowered at the sight of so much wick- 
edness and so great ingratitude, this venerable man 
exclaimed : ''Behold this Child is set for the ruin of 
many.'' Ruin, indeed ; but ruin effected by their own 
lawlessness, by their own tyranny, by their own corrup- 

31 



32 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 

tion ! Ruin ! Complete ruin ! consummated in opposi- 
tion to God's will and caused by their own unyielding 
perversity. It is not our Divine Lord's will that any sin- 
ner should perish ; but that he may be converted and 
live. If we destroy our own happiness here, if we ren- 
der ourselves reprobates hereafter, if we exclude God's 
graces from our souls, the disastrous consequences 
are our own making, and cannot be attributed to our 
divine Redeemer. If damned at all, it will be in spite of 
God's mercies, and in accordance with our persistent 
wickedness. 

The pages of history stamp the seal of verification 
upon the prediction of Blessed Simeon. Scarcely had 
the happy angelical voices ceased their notes of praise ; 
hardly had the wise men finished their acts of adoration, 
than Herod provoked the maledictions of heaven upon 
his head by his infamous edict of destruction. Wish- 
ing, as you know, to murder the Infant Jesus, he com- 
manded that all the male children of two years and 
under, should be slaughtered. Horrible crime ! 
Wretched king to pollute your soul and brand your 
own memory by such a ferocious act of cruelty ! 
Your base infamy will not be forgotten. You will ever 
be associated with those perfidious demons of history, 
who have been a curse to civilization, and an evidence 
that Jesus is set for the ruin of many. 

Recall the appalling calamity which befell the Jews. 
Their enmity for the Messiah did not cease with Herod. 
It continued with unabating rancor, until they saw 
Him dead upon the cross ; and then they directed 
their animosity against His followers. They cried : 
'^ Let His blood be upon ourselves a7id upon our child? en!' 
O obstinate unbelievers! O savage criminals ! You 
were taken at your word, and the hand of an avenging 



SUNDAY AFTEE CHRISTMAS. 33 

God has fallen heavy upon you. Your gorgeous city, 
the great centre of your unity and the glory of your 
people for generations, is fallen a prey to the invader. 
Encompassed on all sides by a pagan foe, your walls 
are battered down and your munificence becomes 
plunder for your enemies. Your inmates, the once 
chosen people of God, are not only besieged from 
without, but are ravaged by pestilence, famine, and 
intestine war. Overa million people perished during that 
memorable siege. The temple, celebrated by its mag- 
nificence, sanctified by the prayers of innumerable 
pious souls, dedicated to God and honored for its 
great sacredness, was devoured by flames. The 
Roman generals could not save it. It was doomed. 

In after years, when the Jews attemped to rebuild it, 
fire came forth from the bowels of the earth ; and the 
very foundation was hurled from its bed, — thus verify- 
ing the prophecy of our Divine Lord, that a stone would 
not be left upon a stone. The Jews became fugitives, 
and even to this day, have not a city they can call 
their own,-— a visible proof of their punishment, their 
obduracy, and their awful crime of deicide : — " Beliold 
this Child is set for the ruin of many.'' 

The downfall of Jerusalem was not more wonder- 
ful than that of Rome. The latter was styled the mis- 
tress of the world. Her sway was boundless, and her 
greatness unlimited. Following a code of laws based 
largely upon human wisdom, she ascended to vast 
power, and ruled sometimes with justice ; at other 
times with the sword. In the early days of the Christian 
Church, she was an insatiable enemy of the doctrine of 
Christ. We may not blame her so much for resisting 
foreign innovations against the worship she rendered to 
her gods ; this was natural enougli ; but her abominable 



34 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 

brutality was without parallel or precedent. For three 
hundred years she persecuted the Christians with unre- 
lenting barbarity. The ruins of Rome still tell of their 
cruel sufferings and tragic deaths. The very mention 
of some of her kings at this late day, provokes detesta- 
tion for their memory, and awakens compassion for 
the early Christian martyrs. Finally, the patience of 
the Most High was exhausted. These pagans would 
not listen to the apostolic men sent for their conversion. 
Instead of listening to the saving truths of the Gospel, 
they put the ministers of the true God to death. The 
measure of their iniquities was overflowing. The 
indomitable right hand of the Almighty One was 
stretched out against them, and they withered before 
His irresistible power. The old Roman empire, majes- 
tic in her greatness, and unconquered by any foreign 
enemy, ultimately fell a victim to her own dissentions, 
to her own avarice and gluttony. The proud mistress 
of the world sank into decay, the result of tyranny, 
conspiracy, and lust. The cross rose from the ruins of 
the fallen empire. Christianity survived the cruelty of 
the pagans. The Pope's tiara took the place of Caesar's 
diadem. How often history repeats the admonition 
that it is unwise and destructive to depart from God, or 
to defy His august power ! How often has modern 
history reiterated the prophesy of holy Simeon : 
" Behold tills Child Is set for the ruin of many.'' 

This marvellous prediction finds its verification as 
well among those nations which knew Jesus but aban- 
doned Him, as those which refused to accept His 
doctrine. For evidence, you need only consider Asia 
and lower Egypt — places at once famous for the 
brilliancy of their learning, for the firmness of their 
Christian faith, and the number of their virtues, Asia, 



SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 35 

made illustrious by the eloquence and erudition of Basil, 
Chrysostom, and Gregory ; lower Egypt renowned 
for her Athanasius, Cyril, and TertuUian, not to men- 
tion St. Augustine, the celebrated scholar of Hippo ; 
Constantinople, once the rival of Rome and Athens, 
lost her literary pre-eminence, and became the capital 
of the Turkish empire. The famous seats of learning, 
the glory of Christian prestige; the halo of sanctity, 
their saints, their learning, and their civilization, 
departed with the faith of Christ. The one was either 
crushed or banished ; and the other could not flourish 
without its supernatural sustenance, the Church of 
Jesus Christ. Deplorable, indeed, that society fails 
to see, at times, the destiny of the Catholic Church, 
and the guiding power of the Babe of Bethlehem. 
While obedient to that Church, while adoring that 
Divine Babe, nations prosper and the principles of 
civilization are diffused. Reject the authority of that 
Church, and Jesus, instead of being the actuating 
motive of your lives, becomes the principle of your 
ruin. In rejecting His Church, you expel Him from 
your hearts. He is set for the ruin of many, but the 
fault is with ourselves. 

The religious revolutions headed by Martin Luther, 
produced disunion in religion, and gave birth to 
systems of philosophy which aimed, and still aim, at 
banishing God from the human heart. Men spurred 
on by the heat of discussion and the fervor of revenge, 
forgot God. They did, in the name of religion, the 
very things which religion forbids. Fanatical spirits 
reigned for a time, and wherever their sceptre swayed, 
there was blight and ruin. After a period of religious 
persecutions, animosity partially subsided, only to give 
skeptical philosophy an opportunity to shake its defi- 



36 SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 

ant head. The Reformation, so called by its adv(y*iates, 
was based on private judgment ; and private judgment 
bred disorders. These disorders undermined religion 
and fomented rebellion against legitimate authority. 
The torch of faith was extinguished for many specu- 
lators of thought ; and speculation split Protestantism 
into countless divisions, while it accelerated infidelity, 
atheism, and immorality. All these culminated in 
the French Revolution, which was properly entitled 
the Reign of Terror. France was deluged with the 
blood of her best citizens. The religious were 
murdered and the altars of God desecrated. Man in 
his madness deified reason. A harlot was declared to 
be the goddess of reason ; and men supposed to be 
rational, bent the knee before her, in adoration. Justice 
was dethroned in the temple of law ; religion was exiled 
from her sacred asylums, while men Grazed by frenzy, 
ruled the nation. The history of that frightful period 
demonstrates to what excesses men will go, when not 
restrained by the ameliorating influence of the Old 
Church. God abandoned them to their wickedness ; 
and the anarchy which followed, finds no comparison 
in the records of human existence. " Behold thu 
Child is set for the ruin of many .... a?td for a sign which 
shall be contradicted^ But woe to those who contradict ! 
Woe to those who force the Redeemer of mankind to 
confound their understanding and baffle their plots ! 
Ruin will overwhelm them ; disgrace and humiliation 
will follow the progress of ruin. 

Even during the last half of the present century, 
men have plotted against God and His Church. The 
no-popery cry has been heard throughout England ; and 
in our own beloved country, convents and churches 
w^ere demolished by fanatics who were justly styled 



SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. 3? 

No-Nothings. They heralded far and wide, what they 
termed the last sigh of the dying papacy ; but these 
zealots read not history ; or, if they did, they failed to 
comprehend the lesson taught by the records of time. 
The Old Church had weathered man}' a storm ; and 
those of the nineteenth century, like others of former 
ages, only gave her new vitality, and presented another 
phenomenon for her enemies to meditate upon. 

In our own time it is lamentable to consider how 
many have little faith, or no faith at all. It is estimated 
that not more than one-third of the population of this 
great nation are church-goers. From this number, 
subtract the members of the Catholic Church, and 
what have you left ? Of Prussia, it is said that scarcely 
any young man goes to church ; and that very little 
faith survives the shocks of the last three centuries. In 
England, a vast number care not whether there is a 
God, or not. In every part of Europe Agnosticism, 
Infidelity, and Atheism are dissipating what little faith 
there was in Protestantism, while the higher biblical 
criticism has successfully attacked the strongholds 
thereof. Everywhere are found large desertions from 
the army of Christian believers ; and this desertion 
breeds sensuality, divorce, suicide, and countless other 
evils, which are destroying society, corrupting youth, 
and filling jails. Truly, this Child is set for the ruin 
of many. Ruin, inevitable ruin! when they hearken 
not to His voice and the teachings of His infallible 
Church. Ruin, consummate ruin ! when they blas- 
pheme His Holy Name and go after the gods of this 
earth. Alas ! that man is so forgetful of his eternal 
good, and of the Saviour who died for him upon the 
Cross ! The Divine Child wishes not the destruction 
of any person ; but man's sinfulness brings ruin upon 
himself, though the Redeemer sorrows at the loss. 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 



Behold^ thy father and I have sought thee^ sorrowing. 
(St. Luke ii.— 48.) ' ' 

My Dear Friends : This part of the chapter of St. 
Luke should be interesting and instructive to all 
parents. It should teach them to have a watchful care 
over their children. It would appear to us, as if Jesus 
left his parents that they may seek Him ; and that He 
may thereby point out to parents their obligation in 
respect to their children. Mary, His mother, and His 
foster-father, St. Joseph, knew Jesus was not in bad 
company ; still they were alarmed lest He had wandered 
far from them, and that He may suffer from exposure 
and hunger. They sought and found Him. Mark His 
Mother's words : " Behold, thy father a?id I have sought 
thee, sorrowing.'' Oh, would that more parents would 
seek their children, sorrowing ; that they would have 
more love for their children ; that they would learn 
from the example of Joseph and Mary ! 

It is to parents' own interest to train their children 
properly and shield them from danger. It is difficult, 
we admit, to do much with some children ; but water 
constantly falling wears away the hardest rock. Parents 
can accomplish a great deal for their children, if they 
imitate the action of the falling water. Everything 

38 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 39 

cannot be done at once in the training of children. 
Moreover, before parents blame their children too much, 
they should reflect a little. Are not the very parents 
themselves accountable for the proclivities of their 
children ? How many a poor child inherits these very 
propensities for which he is punished ; and for 
which the parents themselves should be chastised. 
Parents, think of this before you are too severe with 
your children. Your blood, and the blood of your 
families for generations, flows through the veins of your 
children. Might not this blood have been contamin- 
ated before your child's existence ? Were not excesses 
committed for which your child now suffers, and on 
account of which you now flog him? Be reasonable 
and merciful toward your child. You ought to pity 
more than punish him. He has to battle with the evils 
of life and the ills with which his parents have cursed 
him. Oh, happy child, whose ancestry was virtuous ! 
You are blessed by good parents, by inheriting good 
moral traits and innocent aspirations ! 

Another ver}^ important factor in the training of 
children, is good example. Environments unquestion- 
ably have influence upon everyone. Poets and other 
distinguished persons have been moulded by their 
surroundings ; they breath forth in poetry and prose 
the influence of childhood. Literature is diamonded by 
the brilliant thoughts taken from the mines of child- 
hood's recollections. Men become distinguished for 
^ood, or evil, chiefly as the environments of childhood 
were beautiful or disfigured. A child reared amidst 
swearing and drunkenness, cannot be as grand an object 
of future virtue as the child who has been nourished by 
the beauties of the heavens, the inspiration of the 
fields, the guidance of good parents, and the graces of 



40 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

the Redeemer. These surroundings assist in directing 
or retarding the child's powers. They often make the 
dullard or the scholar, the saint or the sinner. Home 
is one of the places, and the chief place, for moulding 
the child's character. Make him a good child, and he 
will be a good man. True, indeed, "the child is father 
of the man." Let his first words be of Jesus, Mary, and 
Joseph. Dedicate the child to these, and they will care 
for him. He will never be lost to Jesus while under the 
protection of Joseph and Mary. Should he be led 
astray by false allurements, they will follow him, 
sorrowing ; will find him, and he will never perish. 

Teach your children to esteem the good and despise 
the bad. Teach them to aspire to honest pursuits and 
to avoid sordid gain. Teach them to respect the 
rights of others and defend their own rights. Never 
let them forget that there is a God. Teach them these 
things by your own example. The sculptor must have 
the ideal in his soul, which his genius is to breath into 
the marble. A parent must be a devout Catholic, if he 
would have his child devout. The parent must be 
honorable, that the child may be honorable. The 
example is the parents themselves, and the product of 
this example is the child. " The just that walketh in 
his simplicity, shall leave behind him blessed children ^ 
(Prov. XX. — 7.) 

It cannot be denied but that good example pro- 
duces good effects ; and it is just as evident, that bad 
example corrupts everyone continuing within the 
sphere of its contagion. Many and many a parent is 
the cause of his child's destruction. Bad example^ 
continuous bad example, with no good between, will 
contaminate any child. What sort of parents are those 
who have no interest in their children ? who will 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 41 

lead unchristian lives themselves, though they know 
such behavior will impoverish the souls of their little 
ones, and render them a prey to every destroying 
allurement ? The mother is scolding with her neighbors, 
and the father is overcoming a spree. Alas! that these 
parents do not awaken from their stupor. They are 
damning their own souls, while they are training their 
children to be rowdies and outlaws. A drunken father 
in the corner, and a dirty mother in a filthy neighbor's 
house, do not afford much moral or religious capital 
for their children. These parents seldom go to church, 
nor do they send their children. These never say their 
prayers, because those never set the example. Poor 
children ! you are to be pitied. If you ever grow to be 
worthy citizens and devout Catholics, you need not 
thank your father or mother. 

My dear friends, do not allow your children too much 
freedom. Treat them kindly, still keep them always 
under judicious restraint. Let them not ramble late at 
night. " Give thy so?i his zvay,'' says the inspired writer, 
^^ and he shall make thee afraid^ (Eccli. xxx. — 9.) 
Entertain them the best you can at home; create in 
their young hearts a love for home. Let the father 
encourage them by remaining at home himself in the 
evenings. Protect them from bad associates. Though 
you are good, bad company will destroy your children. 
Call their attention, at intevals, to the ruin of some whom 
they know to have been wicked. This will produce in 
them a hatred for evil. If you must punish, be mod- 
erate ; and love your children as much after as before 
the punishment. Train your children to be indus- 
trious. Industry is an anchor which, if prudently 
moored, will be a great safeguard to them. An indus- 
trious child is quite well protected. His diligence will 



42 FIEST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

keep him from bad company, and engage him in 
worthy occupations. Of all education, industry is the 
best. When Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the 
temple. He was engaged in teaching the Jews. Though 
Jesus is the Son of God, He was, when on earth, not 
idle, but industrious. Discipline your children to 
imitate His ennobling example. 

Besides the points to which your attention has been 
drawn, permit me to add a few more words. Allow 
me to exhort you to instruct your children. Instruct 
them in the ways of God when they are young, and 
when they are old they will not depart therefrom. 
Teach them as soon as they can lisp, to pray. By 
thus elevating their minds, you are infusing spiritual 
nourishment into their young souls, and directing 
their thoughts to the highest attainments. You are 
developing and polishing the intellects of your little 
ones ; you are bringing them nearer to their Eternal 
Father. "When they are old enough, bring them to 
church, and send them to your school, that they may 
grow in wisdom as the Child Jesus grew. You will be 
rewarded for your labors. They will grow up with the 
love and fear of God in their hearts. In your old age, 
they will be your solace. You will rejoice in their 
righteousness, and be assisted by their generosity. With 
joy you will speak of their success, and by their efforts 
you will be made happy. They will not be roving the 
streets at late hours, but will be at home in peace. 
They will not be found in prison, but in church. 
They will be an honor to )'our declining years ; they 
will be a fortress of strength to their country, — the 
glory of the Church and the children of God. 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 



And Jesus was also invited^ and His disciples^ to the mar- 
riage. (St. John ii. — 2.) 

My Dear Friends : From the inspired records we learn 
of this notable wedding, and of the distinguished guests 
who were present. No doubt, preparations for the fes- 
tivities were not neglected. The friends and acquaint- 
ances of the contracting parties, were invited. The 
Gospel read for you, tells us of the presence of the 
Blessed Virgin, — Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was there. 
An invitation was also extended to her Divine Son and 
His disciples. They complied with the request, thus 
augmenting the solemnities of the occasion. If you 
judge from the dignity of the guests, never was there so 
magnificent a nuptials. The Mother of Jesus was 
there — she who is venerated by the faithful of every 
age and Christian nation, who is the most august creat- 
ure whom God has created. She was there to add joy 
to the festive gathering. The disciples who are 
crowned by the diadem of faith and the glory of saints, 
were also present. How happy, indeed, must that 
marriage be at which Jesus attends ! How innocent 
the contracting parties ! No scandal there ; no crime, 
no lawlessness ! It is a heavenly feast, and the vows 
exchanged are ratified by the divine benediction. 

43 



44 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

Truly the words of St. Paul find the guaranty of their 
truth in this honorable wedding of Cana : " This is a 
great sacrament ; but I speak in Christ and iri the Church ^ 
(Epes. V. — 32.) 

There are many weddings, I am sorry to say ; yea, 
many Catholic weddings at which Jesus is not in 
attendance. Particularly is this true of those persons 
who call themselves Catholics, but who disrespect 
and violate the laws of the Church, when they rush 
into the state of matrimony, unprepared by grace and 
unblessed by the prayers of the Church. Rashly 
they pledge their vows ; nor do they care whether 
Jesus is present or not. Instead of invoking the 
benedictions of heaven, they bring upon their young 
heads the curses of an ill-devised plot. They will live 
to regret their rashness. Tears will tell of the remorse 
to which folly gave birth. Would it not be better to 
invite Jesus to the marriage-feast by shaping their 
conduct according to His well-defined law — by the 
worthy reception of the sacraments? If you prepare in 
this manner. He will not only heed your invitation, 
but He will bless your nuptials by His presence. For 
this you will be happier on the day of your marriage, 
and on every day thereafter. It is true, trouble and 
vexations many come, as they always do ; still remorse 
arising from your own rashness, disgrace at your 
unholy marriage, will not commingle their bitterness 
with the gall of other misfortunes. 

Young people should pray often to God, that should 
they ever enter into the state of matrimony, they may 
be blessed with good partners, sanctified by the graces 
of God and the prayers of the Church. Matrimony is 
an important epoch in the lives of people. When 
once taken, it is taken forever, or during the life-time 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 45 

of one or other of the contracting parties. On account 
of its gravity and its consequences and its duration, it 
demands judicious thought. Young people should, 
therefore, make nearly as much preparation for the pious 
reception of the Sacrament of Matrimony, as candidates 
for the priesthood do for the sacred reception of the 
Sacrament of Holy Orders. Both are of long duration ; 
both bring sorrows or joys ; both are beneficial and 
necessary ; and upon the proper or improper reception 
of one or the other depends largely the peace or the 
misery of the life of the recipient here on earth, and 
hereafter, beyond the grave. 

We are told, and observations prove, that some Cath- 
olics are unhappy in the marriage state, though they 
have been united in holy wedlock by a priest, and 
have complied with all the external requirements of 
the Church. Let us answer that when the both contract- 
ing parties are well behaved, practical Catholics, and 
receive with pure souls the Sacrament of Matrimony, 
they seldom, if ever, meet with scandalous trouble. 
Fortune may not, it is true, always smile upon them ; 
but in the hour of sorrow or the time of need, they 
will look to their God for consolation and help. They 
will be strangers to divorce courts and scandalous sen- 
sations. Their confidence in God will not be frustrated 
by adversity ; nor will their heavenly Father be deaf 
to their appeals. 

The fact, however, that they were married by a 
priest, may not warrant them endless happiness, nor 
vouch for the purity of their conduct before or after 
marriage. A girl will resolve to marry a young man 
who is a drunkard. She will reform him. She will 
make a fine young man of him ! He is so very nice ! 
A perfect gentleman I but for one fault ; and she will 



46 SECOND SUNDAY AFTEE EPIPHANY, 

cure him of this. They are married, but she does not 
cure him. He becomes more of a sot than before. 
Her prospects are blasted ; she lives to see her folly, 
and drink from the dregs of bitter disappointment. 
Her life of promise is wrecked. She lives a prey to 
misery, neglect, and want. Would it not have been 
wiser for her to try her ability at reforming the young 
man before she married him ? If she failed in her 
attempt, the failure would be evidence enough to 
persuade her that after marriage she could never 
succeed. 

On the other hand, the young man may be a very 
good young man — industrious, saving, and sober. He 
becomes acquainted with a girl. She captivates him 
by her charms, throws about him the leash of her en- 
chantments. He thinks himself blessed. He knows 
she is a flirt ; but this even attracts him the more, just 
as the sirens of old enchanted, only to destroy. She 
is just the person. This lightness of temperament will 
disappear. He will be happy in the possession of such 
a charmer. They marry, but she still remains a flirt. 
By frivolity she was trained to be restless and change- 
able. Her training has not been dissipated. Ere long, 
to his joy, sorrow succeeds, while despair expels all 
hope. She brings disgrace and dishonor on both. She 
was every fellow's girl before marriage ; and it is no 
great wonder if the same notions will always continue 
to shape her course. He lives to curse his luck, and 
to curse her, too. 

Let us take another view of marriage life ; for it is 
like a kaleidescope — it has many varieties. Here is a 
husband and his wife. They were once poor — then 
they were happy. They struggled hard and faithfully. 
Their industry brought wealth ; but like many another, 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 47 

they could not withstand the unkind influences of 
prosperity. He remains the same common-sensed man 
he always was, cares little for style, and less for pre- 
tentions. She becomes, nevertheless, very sedate, 
studies etiquette, apes at the manners of others, and 
invites often her friends and acquaintances for luncheon. 
He has no use for such nonsense, and retains his old 
habits. Notwithstanding all her lectures, she cannot 
make him social or entertaining. She aims to be one 
of the bonton, while he is immovable and unimprovable. 
She is often mortified. With much polish, combined 
with gentle tact, she apologizes to her friends for his 
rudeness. His conduct, however, becomes more and 
more insufferable in proportion as she attains to greater 
refinement. She repeatedly says to herself in the 
recessess of her self-complacent bosom : " What an 
idiot I was to marry such an ignoramus, so uncouth, so 
boorish, so unsocial ! What do my friends think of me ? 
What do they think of my putting up with his mulish- 
ness, insolence, lack of style, want of gayety ? Why, 
it is preposterous! " She evidently thinks she is above 
her husband in attainments ; in proportion as she 
ascends in her own estimation of herself, the more 
discontented she becomes. In the meanwhile she 
forms the acquaintance of a very polished man ; so 
suave, so courteous, so entertaining, so everything 
which constitutes a galvanized rogue. She is charmed 
by his presence. He is just her ideal of a man. Some 
evening the old gentleman upon returning from labor, 
finds a note saying his mate has flown, and he thanks 
his God that he is at rest. Not many weeks are 
required to teach her of the fine polished man's insin- 
cerity, and to render her sane once more. Scandal, 
however, follows disgrace. The serenity of a once 



48 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

happy home is broken. The family is overwhelmed 
with shame, while the wife and mother is cast upon 
the world, a wreck for the warning of others. 

Allow me to suppose another case. In this the 
husband assumes all the arrogance of acquired wealth. 
The wife is a simple-minded, industrious woman. She 
has always been inured to drudgery ; nor has the 
acquisition of property modified her modest habits or 
awakened any pretentions to superiority. She loves 
her family and her domestic concerns. For her hus- 
band and children, she lives and toils. Their happiness 
is her joy, and she desires no other temporal reward. 
He, on the contrary, flatters himself on his prosperity. 
It has all been due to his sagacity. He has grown of 
late wondrously large in his own estimation ; his great 
ability has made him rich ! His tact, his plans, his 
consummate genius, have borne fruit ! It could not be 
otherwise with him. He begins to look upon his wife, 
the partner of his toil, as a menial servant, one beneath 
him. She does not dress to please him. She still 
retains her old manners — abrupt, ungenial, and coarse. 
He does not see how coarse, selfish, and probably 
dishonest himself is. His business or his money 
leads him into intercourse with other men and places. 
Their conduct is noticed by him. They are out for 
a good time. Why should he be moored to the apron- 
strings of his wife ? Why not do as his immoral 
associates do ? In he plunges. His neighbors will 
never hear of his escapades ; and if they do, who cares ? 
He becomes reckless. The haunts of sin are soon 
known to him. His companions are the representatives 
of lust and debauchery. His excesses render him 
dissatisfied with the surroundings of his family and 
his home. His wife is behind the age. Into the divorce 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 49 

court he goes. Witnesses are bribed. Probably the 
judge receives some compensation. The lawyers are 
well rewarded, and his virtuous mate ceases, according 
to the civil law, to be his wife. She is seized with 
dismay. The children are submerged by affliction. 
Their mother is innocent, they know ; but her innocence 
does not shield them from disgrace. Shame has set her 
destroying hand upon them. Happiness gives way to 
grief. Despair robs them of their honorable aspirations. 
The future is black with the storms of adversity, — all 
is lost. 

At this juncture, they have a friend, in the Catholic 
Church, of which they have always been faithful mem- 
bers. She warns their father that he dare not put away 
his lawful wife. In the words of our divine Saviour, 
she says to him : " What God has joined together, let 
not man dare put asunder.'" Vou cannot divorce 
yourself from the woman you have sworn to love ! 
There is no cause for separation ! If you persist, you 
will bring down upon yourself the malediction of 
an outraged God ! The curse of your innocent wife 
and helpless children will follow your soul ! Your own 
crime will call aloud to heaven for address ! Your fond 
expectations will change to disasters, each tormenting 
you for the injuries you have perpetrated upon your 
family, yourself, against your Church, and against your 
God. Should you attempt to marry again, I hold 
such marriage null and void. You shall never be a 
participant in my graces, or the recipient of my sacra- 
ments, until you have atoned for your injustice. 

He, however, obtains a divorce, and is married again 
by a squire or preacher ; but he will live to curse the 
day he became a fugitive from his Church. He will 
curse himself for refraining from Mass on Sunday, and 



50 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

neglecting to say his morning and evening prayers. 
These delinquencies were the beginnings of his down- 
fall. From these, dates the commencement of his 
ruin. His future will be haunted by the condemnation 
of his Church, by the sorrows of his children, by the 
desolation of his faithful wife. 

Alas! how often the prospects of a flourishing family 
are destroyed by the errors of a wife or husband. 
Fortunately the ravages of divorce are not much felt 
among the members of the Catholic Church. You 
should be grateful for this protection ; society should 
be grateful ; all mankind should be grateful to her for 
the unrelenting care with which she guards the sacred- 
ness of home. 

Is it not, then, advisable for all you who contemplate 
matrimony, to make preparations by prayer ? Ask 
Jesus and His Blessed Mother to be present at your 
nuptials ; and live, that their blessings may never 
depart from your homes. 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY; 

OR, THE 

TWENTY-FOURTH AFTER PENTECOST. 



Amen, I say to you, I have not found so great faith in 
Israel. (Math. viii. — lo.) 

My Dear Friends : Faith is of two kinds : histori- 
cal or human, and divine faith. Historical .faith rests 
upon the veracity of the historian ; divine faith centres 
in the immutable infinite Being, God. History, in its 
principal features, must be considered true, although 
written by fallible man. About articles of divine 
faith, there can be no question, for these are infallible. 
The historian may err, but God is truth. Notwithstand- 
ing the fallibility of the historian, you believe the 
authentic records of time. This is imperative ; because 
should you disbelieve history, you have no way of 
learning the accounts of events occurring even one 
century ago. You never saw George Washington, yet 
you credit history when it tells you such a man 
flourished in this country. Monuments ot marble and 
bronze, which are, indeed, only history of the past in 
another form, confirm your belief. A man known to 
you for his integrity, will tell you of a fact coming 
under his observation ; and you accept his testimony — 
vou rely upon his veracity. If you go back over the 

51 



52 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

ereat avenue of time, down which the human race has 
travelled for thousands of years, you question not the 
notable events seen on your way. You deny not that 
Albertus Magnus lived and became renowned. In 
France, you behold Napoleon Bonaparte. More dis- 
tant, Charlemagne. Soon Cicero and Caesar, with a 
collection of other notables, appear upon the arena of 
national contention, and far beyond, enveloped by the 
mists of remote ages, are discerned distinguished char- 
acters as well as important events. To the reality of 
these you all give assent ; why, then, should any one 
hesitate to accept the Sacred Scriptures approved by 
the Church of God ? Are they not at least deserving of 
as much fidelity as other historical works ? They are, in 
part, historical ; and therefore no sane person ought 
to refuse them his confidence. There are some, never- 
theless, who question not the reliability of Gibbon's 
Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, but would reject 
or doubt the revealed word of God. 

If the human race clings to the memory of the past, 
and anxiously labors for its preservation, can it con- 
sistently despise the Holy Bible ? But whether man 
despises it, or not, he cannot discard it. On account of 
its vast interest to mankind, it is that so many doubts 
and difficulties arise. Besides, the blind often lead 
the blind. A person may be deeply concerned in 
perpetuating history ; but the human race will never be 
so solicitous for the perpetuity of profane history as 
that of the sacred. The importance of the latter is as 
much greater than the former, as the eternal interests 
of man are above his temporal. He may say : "What 
matters it to me whether Philip of Macedon ever lived, 
or Thomas Moore was beheaded. It is of no vital 
importance to me whether Caesar had never been born, or 



THIKD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 53 

Henry VIII. had never reigned. But the Scriptures 
contain an account of God's dealings with the human 
race — of His justice and His mercy, of His beneficence 
and His love. In these I find the record of man's 
origin ; and from their contents learn man's destiny. 
I perceive the condition of things as they now exist, 
and it is not of so great concern to me who brought 
about these conditions, as the awful thoughts of religion 
which disturb my heart while they rack my intellect. 
Is the Bible reliable ? is it inspired ? is it infallible ? 
These are doubts which torture my soul. Is there 
nothing upon which I can rest my hope for the future? 
Nothing which will give tranquillity to me now ? I am 
worse off than the sailor wrecked in mid-ocean, with 
the stormy billows breaking upon him. He fears for 
his temporal safety ; I am tossed upon the mad sea of 
doubt, in dread of the present, and alarmed for the 
future." 

To Such a one, a Catholic may reply : " Be composed. 
Do you not know of the Catholic Church ? She declares 
the Bible is inspired, and her declarations are infallible. 
She has authority to teach ; consider these teachings 
together with her claims, — indisputable in their source, 
in their nature unchangeable, in every age unerring. 
So great has been the faith placed in her, that St. 
Augustine said : * I would not believe the Scriptures, 
had not the Church moved me to do so.' " To this the 
other answers : "What guaranty have I that }'our 
Church is the legitimate teacher of the human race on 
matters of religion ? Or what security have I in placing 
both my temporal and my eternal destiny in her 
keeping?" You may say to him: "Friend, the Cath- 
olic Church has endured the storms of persecution for 
nineteen hundred years. Her own members have often 



54 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

been rebellious, causing her grief and dividing them- 
selves into factions. Thrones have decayed, but she 
still survives. Her doctrines have withstood the cor- 
roding influences of time and the opposition of the 
world. Compare her with everything else, and you 
cannot fail to see her divine prerogatives. Moreover, 
in the persons of the apostles, she was present with 
Jesus Himself. She witnessed His death on the cross. 
She rejoiced in His resurrection. It was to her He 
declared : ' / shall send you the Holy Spirit, who shall 
teach you all things, and I Myself shall abide with thee 
forever' As the Holy Ghost imparts to her all truth, 
she possesses the doctrine with which she instructs ; 
and since the Son of God cannot be associated with 
the false, it follows that the Church never teaches error. 
But Jesus has averred : ' / Myself shall abide with thee 
forever! Is this not evidence enough to convince you 
of her divine commission ? No less should you be 
persuaded to confide your soul to the care of that 
Church whose credentials were irrevocably sealed by 
the Divine Person, Jesus Christ." 

" All this is well," remarks the skeptic. " But, ah, 
the awful thought rushes in upon me, is Jesus Christ 
God ? Are all Christians deceived ? Am I only a 
dupe of blind, relentless fate ? Does the faculty called 
reason, only act according to some law over which I 
have no control ? Is vice and virtue only the result 
of an inborn wickedness or goodness, predisposing 
man to evil or good as tyrannical inclinations dictate ? ' 
An answer to all these doubts is found in the Gospel of 
to-day. Everyone must admit that it required super- 
human power to purify the human system of leprosy ; 
nor was it any ordinary power which healed the Centu- 
rion's servant. In last Sunday's Gospel you learned how 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 55 

Jesus called forth the Ruler's daughter from death. In 
the performance of this miracle, divine power was 
necessary. Had our Saviour not this power, He 
must have received it from heaven. But how could 
God impart to Him this power, if Jesus was not His 
Son. Our Lord said : " I and the Father are one," 
thus maintaining His own divinity. Were He an 
impostor, could God have favored by His co-operation 
such infernal imposition ? By such an act, He would 
favor deception and injustice. Easier it is to believe 
that there is no God, than to admit His existence and 
at the same time attribute to Him such infamous acts ; 
for God cannot act contrary to His eternal attributes. 
Such conduct would involve a contradiction, and be 
equal to a denial of God's existence. 

But the skeptic is as deficient in his belief in God, 
as in his belief of the divinity of Christ ; and exclaims : 
" I know not whether there is a God or not ! Every 
fiber of my being wrys under the influence of this 
terrible condition of my mind ! I have thought, reflected, 
endeavored to fathom the depths of these hidden 
mysteries of Nature, of these human phenomena 
coming often under my observation, until I am engulfed 
in a whirlpool of doubt." Again, he should find 
sufficient proof of God's existence m the Gospel to 
which I have referred. Divine power was manifested 
in the performance of these stupendous works. The 
skeptic cannot explain them except upon the admission 
of the existence of God. He seizes every opportunity 
to increase his unbelief, while he blindly bars out 
every convincing fact of the supernatural. Were 
he as studious in the acquisition of proofs in support 
of religion as he is assiduous in misconstruing phe- 
nomena to oppose divine faith, he would be happy 



K 



6 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 



and content in the consciousness of God's friendship. 

There are, furthermore, many arguments derived 
from the nature of things, to demonstrate the existence 
of God. To consider them to-day would carry us 
beyond the scope of a sermon. To one argument, 
however, I invite your attention. It is brief, and as 
cogent as brief. The skeptic may deny that there is a 
God. He may deny that the sun is now shining in 
the heavens. He may deny that you are now present 
in this church. He may ev^en deny his own existence. 
But when he comes to deny that he denies, then he 
admits there is a God ; that is when he knows that an 
operation is going on in his mind by which he denies 
the existence of everything ; he acknowledges that the 
knowing faculty exists ; and this faculty must be 
finite or infinite. All things must be of these two 
classes or divisions. Now, if the faculty is infinite, he 
admits the existence of an infinite something ; but an 
infinite something is God. If he argues his knowing 
faculty is finite, he also admits the infinite ; for the 
finite is always dependent upon some other being for 
its existence ; and because there are only two classes 
of beings: since one is the finite, the other must be the 
infinite. 

My Christian friends, you may be somewhat incred- 
ulous in accepting this presentation of the skeptic's 
mental state, and consider it only fanciful. But if 
any of you have conversed with an honest unbeliever, 
you know the views given are no exaggeration ; and 
you know, too, that to give an accurate description of the 
workings of his mind in reference to religion, approaches 
close to the impossible. Outside of the Catholic 
Church, everything in religious matters is confused. 
Scarcely does a conversation turn on religion, when 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 57 

doubts are exchanged, and it is easy to judge from the 
ensuing discussion, how the faith of non-Catholics is 
disturbed. I have often spoken with the skeptic and 
agnostic. They were sincere, intelligent men, but had 
no faith in revealed truths. They desired to penetrate 
into the unknown and inexplainable. Because they 
could not comprehend some things, they doubted almost 
everything. They seemed to be men desirous of 
acquiring faith ; but their method was one of research 
beyond their power of apprehension ; instead of prayer, 
almsgiving, fasting, and a humble confidence in God. 
They believed they were greater when they soared, 
than when they stooped ; and here it was they made 
their first mistake. 

We should rejoice that we are blessed with the 
inestimable blessing of faith in God. We ought never 
abuse this great gift. You must always remember, and 
I must never forget, that faith is a gratuitous gift from 
our Heavenly Father. If you misuse this gift, God will 
withdraw it from you. You will, then, be like those 
bad Catholics whose inflamed tongues breath forth 
wrath, lies, and venom agamst that Church in whose 
bosom they once found peace and contentment. Pray 
to God often, that He may ever preserve in \'ou an 
ardent faith. Imitate the Centurion ; and when the 
eternal Ruler will say to you : " As you believe, let it be 
done accordi7igly to you,'' may the reward of your faith 
be heaven ! 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY ; 

OR, 
THE TWENTY-FIFTH AFTER PENTECOST. 



And when He entered into the ship ^ His disciples followed 
Hif}i. (Math. viii. — 23.) 

My Dear Friends : When a person embarks in a ship, 
he sets out for a journey or voyage. He may encounter 
tempestuous seas, dangers may assail him. Even 
death may attack him ; and in the struggle death 
may be victorious. The disciples entering the ship 
indicate their willingness to follow our Divine Lord 
and to brave the dangers which may arise. Ere long 
their courage was put to the test. The waves became 
too vicious, and in their dismay, they cried for help. 
But you have noted, from the Gospel, that the Master of 
the seas did not abandon His followers ; He restored 
tranquillity to the waters, while he chided them for 
their want of faith. He seemed to say : " WJiy are you fear- 
ful ; why stand aghast at the upheaval of the sea ! Am 1 
not with you ? " The Son of God commanded, and the 
sea became calm. Thus it is ever ; God will not suffer 
His faithful followers to perish. The sea of tribulation 
may break upon them; the rocky promontories of temp- 

58 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFETR EPIPHANY. 59 

tation may terrify them ; but the omniscient Pilot 
Who directs their frail barque, sleeps not. It appears 
sometimes to the afflicted, as if they were forgotten, as 
if they were doomed to an endless night with no to- 
morrow's sun. One trouble follows another. To 
affliction, is added poverty ; or to sickness, death, until 
the survivor has well-nigh lost all hope. Still he must 
remember that were there no struggles, there would 
be no virtue. Without trials, there can be no reward. 
Every disaster of life, every disappointment and loss, 
has its purpose. God knows best. Sorrow is often 
a guardian angel leading you away from sin. False 
friends deceive you, but the deception bids you think. 
If properly weighed, it will make you wiser. Obstacles 
and disappointments enlarge your sphere of knowledge 
and nurture resolution. Hence it is, that relying upon 
God's protection, good is drawn from evil ; and you 
are the better for the struggle in which, perhaps, much 
of your energies were exhausted. 

Let us, however, not deceive ourselves ; because 
a great deal of our adversity is due to our own defects 
or transgressions. Others, it is true, not seldom bestow 
it upon us with a lavish hand ; but we should not 
forget that whatever comes from God, without any 
fault of ours, will do us no harm. On the contrary, it is 
for our good ; because God, our greatest benefactor 
and our best friend, will shield, with His irresistible 
right arm, those confiding in Him. ^^ If anyone comes after 
Me^' He says, " let him deny himself, and take up his aoss 
and follow Me!' Whether the cross is put on your 
mangled shoulders by yourselves, by your enemies, or is 
the sweet yoke of Christ, it should be borne with patience 
and confidence in God. It must be carried, although it 
galls. Its weight may torture the heart and benumb 



60 FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

the intellect, but relinguish it, you cannot. Borne, it 
must be. Yes ; but whither ? To heaven, assuredly. 
* * Deiiy yourselves ; take tip your cross a?id follow Me. " Fol- 
low whom ? Jesus, the Saviour of mankind. Whither 
does He lead ? To the home of peace and joy, 
where crosses enter not. Remember that each one 
must bear his cross in harmony with the divine will, in 
order that it may be meritorious. Deny yourselves. 
Abandon those places or things which have made your 
cross so heavy and oppressive. You, perhaps, have 
made your own cross, have fixed thorns therein, have 
been cruel with yourselves. You were in quest of 
worldly pleasure. You were tired of the consciousness 
of innocence, of the happiness of God's friendship. Sin 
allured you. You were fascinated by its charms. It 
promised joys, but it imposed a cross. Still, do not 
despair ; God is patient, and besides He is as merciful 
as He is patient. He loves the sinner, though He hates 
sin. He wishes not the death of a sinner ; but that he 
may repent, and obtain pardon. Our follies sometimes 
make us wise, their consequences bring us often closer 
to God ; and transgressors of God's law become oft- 
times His most faithful followers. 

It may be that some poor mortal, in his ignorance 
and malice, has fashioned your cross, with a spirit of 
malignity equalled only by his deceitfulness. He or 
she studied how to make it painful and poisonous. 
The inventor rejoiced in the success of his devilish 
design. The sufferings of the cross-bearer are his 
joys. In the secrecy of his heart, he exults in the 
triumph ; and m.ay even insult the af^icted one by 
derision or ridicule. He has succeeded. His victim is 
apparently conquered. His low, base cunning is an 
overmatch for the unwary and the honorable. But 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 61 

mark, his or her triumph will not be permanent. The 
conquered and crushed will become the victor, if he puts 
his confidence in God. Let him carry the cross man- 
fully. With undaunted brow, he may defy his enemies, 
if he is only a true follower of Him Who first consecrated 
the cross by His precious blood. Villainy and cow- 
ardice and enmity will prove a heavier weight for the 
other. Better be the truthful, honorable, great-souled, 
suffering ; than the malicious person with his cunning- 
ness, deceit, and debased character, exulting. God 
will send His ministering angel to the former. From the 
depths of wicked craft, the Almighty power will bring 
forth good, as He once brought light out of the abyss 
of darkness. A wealth of benefits — physical, mental, 
moral, and religious, will arise from where all was 
gloom, disappointment, and sorrow. When a wrong is 
done you, offer it to God. Nor should you neglect to 
ward off a similiar attack in the future from the 
same source. You are not expected to remain supinely 
while your enemy destroys you. Protect yourself, 
therefore, but injure nobody. Should you be injured, 
present the injury to God, and implore His protection. 
Be faithful to God, and He will never desert you. 

Should the heart-aches and the trials be from God, 
then you ought to rejoice ; for He punishes those 
whom He loves. Sickness, ill-fortune, and even 
death are sent to draw you closer to Him, or to pro- 
tect you from deeper trouble. The sorrows of life are 
incomparable to the joys of heaven. To be faithful 
adherents to the standard of our divine Saviour, 
entails sufferings ; but these sufferings bring untold 
rewards on earth, as well as in the eternal kingdom 
of God. You may not understand why you are 
unfortunate, while the wicked are enjoying prosperity. 



62 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

In all the troubles of life you imitate the disciples by 
following your Divine Master ; your conduct is ever 
that of a steadfast adherent to Him ; yet others having 
no regard for God or His laws, meet with success 
where you only find failure. Wealth, comfort, and 
happiness fill their swelling sails as they glide onward 
upon the summer sea of prosperity. Disappointment, 
sometimes poverty, often disaster, are your lot. This 
state of things induced the Psalmist to say by inspira- 
tion : ''But my feet were almost moved ; my steps had 
well-?u^h slipped ; because I had a zeal on accotmt of 
the wicked, seeing the prosperity of sinners!' ( Ps. Ixxii. — 
2, 3.) You perceive that sinners are not only prosper- 
ous now, but that they always were. The Pagan 
chided the followers of Christ, on this account. In 
their blindness, they upbraided the unfortunate. " It 
is a strange God," they were wont to say, " Whom you 
adore. Every sacrifice is cheerfully made by you. 
You are attached to Him with an unwavering devotion. 
You would, indeed, die for Him. Nevertheless you 
suffer all the ills of life. We would not put our trust 
in Him Who would thus afflict us ; nor would we con- 
fide in Him for future happiness, Who would not assist 
us here." This style of argument is very plausible, and 
in all sincerity, we admit that the mystery of God's 
dealings with mankind is beyond our comprehension. 
Enough for us to know, is that God is just. His ways 
are as much above ours, as the heavens are above the 
earth. Some hold that the prosperous on earth, 
though sinners, have done some good works ; and, 
since God is just, He rewards them on earth for their 
goodness ; but of an eternal reward, they are unworthy. 
Again, many of the great ones of the earth stoop 
to the commission of things both dishonorable and 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 63 

dishonest. They hesitate not in defrauding the 
weak and crushing the innocent. For such human 
degradation, a true Christian cannot barter everything 
noble, everything sacred, everything elevated and 
elevating. 

After all considerations are duly weighed, is it not 
questionable whether the favored ones of fortune are 
happier or more content than those who have to battle 
with the pangs of adversity ? Are those whom the 
world calls fortunate, really the fortunate ones ? May 
not the case be reversed ? May not the others who 
regard themselves wretched, because they are poor, be 
the happier. Could you draw aside the curtain which 
hides the secrets of the heart, your opinion may be 
changed. Look into the affairs of people ; study their 
lives ; and you will be convinced that they are in need 
of pity, not envy ; that they are ofttimes the most 
miserable, who are thought most happy. With some, 
an insatiable greed for money ; with others, a burning 
desire for fame ; with a third class, a tireless ambition 
for positions of emolument,— ^robs them of all rest 
and comfort. These may be envied, they may be 
fawned upon, they may be extolled for their wealth of 
mind and temporal possessions ; but they are not 
happier than those whose lot is cast among the lowly. 
As the poet (Pope) has tersely expressed himself : 

" Order is heaven's first law ; and this confessed, 
Some are, and must be, greater than the rest — 
More rich, more wise ; but who infers from hence 
That such are happier, shocks all common sense." 

According to the same poet, the innocent are truly 
happy : 

" Know then this truth, enough for man to know, 
Virtue alone is happiness here below." 



64 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

The virtuous in high or low station, possess the 
genuine jewels of the soul. And where is the true 
man unknown to wealth or fame, who would exchange 
his condition with him whose greatness is built upon 
the ruin of others ? He has degraded human nature 
by his remorseless treatment of his fellow-men. His 
ambition was to succeed, though thousands perished 
under his scourge ; and if honest indignation spurned 
his contemptible acquisitions, it was punished for its 
arrogance. Notwithstanding his pompous conceits, a 
slave might hesitate before changing places with this 
maggot of humanity. Where is the follower of Him 
Who said : '' Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the 
land'' that would buy pride, insolence, and vanity at 
such a price ? It ill-becomes anyone to be such a 
monster, much more a Catholic. How can a Catholic 
reconcile oppression of the poor, defrauding laborers 
of their wages, cheating, blasphemy, and debauchery^ 
with the tenets of his religion, or with the qualifica- 
tions of Christ's disciples. To be a good citizen, you 
must be a good Catholic ; and to be a good Catholic, 
you must be a true follower of Jesus. Do not deceive 
yourselves. Do not exculpate yourselves by finding 
fault with others. Never forget that true greatness 
is ever associated with equitable principles, con- 
descention, and beneficence. Strive to be Catholic, 
not only in name, but also in action. Follow unfal- 
teringly your eternal Guide, Jesus ; and then should 
storms of animosity, ill-luck, trial, and disaster break 
upon you, your Saviour will rebuke the winds, and 
tranquillity of soul will ensue. 



THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY; 

OR, THE 
TWENTY-SIXTH AFTER PENTECOST. 



Master^ didst dhou notsow good seed in thy field ? Whence 
then hath it cockle 7 (St. Math. xiii. — 27.) 

Of the influence of bad company, my dear friends, 
you cannot be ignorant. You have seen its effects. 
Probably some of you have been and still are its vic- 
tims. How diflicult it is to avoid this evil intercourse, 
you also know. Pernicious companionship is easily 
enough acquired, but not so easily relinquished. The 
atmosphere of bad company is contagious, and the 
contagion affects body and soul. No safeguard is 
sufficient to protect anyone exposing himself to such 
danger. At times it disrobes itself of its repugnant 
features, and puts on the semblance of innocence and 
gentle affability. In this guise, it is the most treacherous, 
and consequently the most destructive. The unsus- 
pecting are duped. They are unarmed by flattery and 
conquered by seduction. They question not the 
intention of the enemy until resistance is well-nigh 
powerless. They have been unwise, but they will have 
a long time to repent of their folly. 

65 



66 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

Now we may inquire of what class, or classes of 
people, is bad company composed. The investigation 
is an awful one ; for in bad company are found those 
who once led angelic lives ; who knew not evil, except 
as they read or heard of it ; whose lives were pure, 
and whose aspirations were lofty. From a home both 
happy and innocent they were lured away gradually, 
until innocence was bartered for guilt ; and the 
tranquillity of a pure conscience was exchanged for the 
miseries of sin. Others there are who imbibed wicked- 
ness with the nourishment drawn from the mother's 
breast. The parents were bad. The child's associations 
from the cradle were corrupt and corrupting. From 
infancy, the very air which it breathed, was contaminated 
by the foulness of vice. Yea ; it may be that the child 
is cursed by illegitimacy. Thus, on the threshold of 
existence the sin of the mother is a lamentable stain 
upon her pitiable offspring. Beginning life in so 
deplorable a condition, surrounded by evil influence, 
absorbing evil with its growth, it is not to be wondered 
at, if the child in after years fill a prison cell. It cannot 
be doubted, however, but that such a child som.etimes 
becomes a good and useful man. The ascension from 
sin to righteousness is due to the grace of God, Vv'hich 
manifests itself in various ways, but ofttimes by produc- 
inir for the child a change of environments. From 
degradation he arises by an iafusion of the good seed, 
the word of God, into his soul. How has the trans- 
formation been brought about ? Perhaps by a good 
book which fell into his hands at an opportune moment ; 
perhaps by curiosity which induced him into a church 
in which he heard, for the first time, the solemn and 
beautiful truths of religion ; or he might have been 
moved to the depths of his heart by the conduct of 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 6? 

some devout and gracious person. In some manner 
or another the grace of God found an entrance into 
his soul. He did not repel the invitation to enter into 
the Lord's vineyard ; but with a heart as humble as it 
was sincere, he bowed his will to the earnest entreaty 
of the Saviour of mankind. 

Are any of you associated with bad company ? Then 
listen to the Son of God, beseeching you in the agony 
of His sacred passion to come to Him. Will you 
refuse ? Will you weigh everything that is pure and 
honorable and ennobling, with everything base and 
unprincipled and degrading, yet choose the latter ? If 
you do, the wretchedness entailed by a life of sin, will 
be your reward. The bad seed sown by your enemy, 
will yield the weeds of debasement, disease, and 
prematured old age. The day may come when you will 
call to God for mercy ; but He will not hearken to you, 
and you will die in your sins. You abused His graces. 
You wronged yourselves. The punishment inflicted is 
the penalty of your own rashness and disobedience. 
God desired you to be eternally happy — you doomed 
yourselves to endless perdition. 

Are the members of such company ashamed of their 
associates ? Quite the contrary ; they pride themselves 
on their licentious toughness. Is it not strange how 
many dislike to be considered good ? They refrain 
from many acts of devotion, either because they fear to 
become remarkable, or because they will be chided by 
their companions. Yet the wicked will boast of their 
low, infernal conduct ; and are enthusiastically thankful 
to those who call them tough. On the street corners, 
you will see them parade their vileness in filty language 
gathered from the lowest slums of crime and sin. Does 
the blush of shame mantle that face which hides the 



68 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

hell within ? Oh, no ; if an acquaintance passes by, 
their offensiveness is the bolder and more pronounced. 
They want to be known. They want to be regarded as 
the leaders of a sin-cursed gang. Enter the saloon. 
There is another disgusting sight. Men, old and young, 
in a half-drunken stupor, dribbling out some unintellig- 
ible jargon ; profanity the most horrible is the only thing 
intelligible. And there are other places of so treacher- 
ous a nature as to render them unmentionable — places 
where virtue is lost and impurity triumphs ; where the 
great faculties of the soul and the exalted sensibilities 
of the heart are enslaved ; where God is ignored and 
the devil enthroned ! 

Bad company is one of the enemies who sows the 
cockle. Almighty God and the true Christian guide 
sow the good seed. Good parents also cultivate in 
their children a meritorious fruit. The enemy is alert. 
Prompted by hell, he sows the seed which suffocates the 
noble emotions of the heart, which robs the soul of its 
vigor, which converts the mysterious organ of speech 
into a weapon of destruction against man and an 
instrument of insult to God. His breath is pollution; 
his prayer, blasphemy ; degradation is his ambition, and 
the ruin of others, his glory ! What is his reward for 
so much injury to others ? Has he won distinction ? 
Yes ; the distinction which infamy gives to ruffians. 
After a few years of debauchery, mark the distinction. 
Prematured old age, a deject countenance, a vague, 
empty leer of the eye, a diseased body, and a filthy soul — 
these are the characteristics distinguishing him from 
the rest of mankind. Are they sufficient compensa- 
tion for the sacrifices he made upon the altar of 
debauchery ? Are they such as you would barter an 
honored life, a happy death, and a joyful eternity for ? 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 69 

Would you refuse the exchange ; then beware of bad 
company ? Many of the bad were once good. Temp- 
tation overcame them. They fell, rose again ; but 
falling too often, they became enfeebled, abused grace, 
and ultimately were unable to rise. 

How many a poor victim has cursed in the agony of 
his heart, the companions who worked his ruin ! How 
often has he cursed father and mother for their bad 
example, or perhaps on account of their indulgent 
leniency toward him ! Had they been more severe, 
had they given good example by the devoutness of 
their own lives, he would not now be led to prison, with 
manacled hands. Had they seen to it that he went to 
Church on Sundays, that he attended school, that he 
was at home in the evening at a seasonable hour, he 
would not now be doomed to a disgraceful sentence in 
the penitentiary. Ah, but many and many a time, the 
mother in tears begged him to keep away from bad 
company! Again and again she implored him to go to 
confession ! The father, too, besought him to be at 
home early in the evening ; told him of the terrible result 
of rowdyism ; followed him at night, and brought him 
home from a saloon or gambling table. It was all to 
no purpose. He was infatuated by wickedness, and on 
his way to prison he has time for sober thoughts. He 
blames others; but he cannot deny that his punishment is 
the outcome of an obstinate, ill-directed temper. Should 
the law declare his crime punishable by death instead of 
prison, then the awful thought of an approaching death, 
infamous in its nature and horrible in its execution, would 
awaken the keenest remorse for his unfortunate career. 
The happy days of boyhood, when life was young and 
hope buoyant, would reappear in all their beauty and 
innocence, adding thus more pain to the shafts of remorse! 



70 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

In the seclusion of his cell, he considers the opportun- 
ities lost or abused ; the happy peace enjoyed in the 
morning of life; the parents who were kindly affectionate, 
the brothers and sisters who loved him, and who now 
weep over his misfortune, and pray he may not die upon 
the scaffold ! Thenhe condemns himself in this manner : 
" It is true, I gave the fatal blow, but I was maddened by 
whiskey. I had no intention, an hour before, of com- 
mitting murder. I would suffer death a thousand times, 
before I would do such a terrible deed. My pals 
are to blame. It was they who gave me the drink to 
blunt my reason and to nerve my hand. It was they, 
too, who gave me the dagger ; and when I refused, they 
called me a coward, and asked me to have another drink ; 
it would make a man out of me — would bring back my 
courage, which they had so often admired ! I was urged 
on, until I knew not myself ; nor weighed the crime 
which I am soon to appease by my life ! " 

Believe me, my friends, that this picture is not over- 
drawn. It is impossible to describe the feelings of the 
condemned, or to overestimate the damnable influ- 
ence of bad company. Such cases as I have attempted 
to portray, are of daily occurrence. You read the 
public prints, and you, therefore, know what I say is 
true. But the newspapers tell not of the pangs of the 
heart, of the anguish of families, of the destruction of 
hopes, of the blasting of fortunes, occasioned by 
pernicious associates ! These are hidden within broken 
hearts, and contained in the sighs which rise to heaven 
for solace, for pardon, and for hope ! 

Thus far your attention has been dwelling upon the 
waywardness, fall, and destruction of a son ; but some- 
how the degradation of a daughter is more lamentable. 
On account of the delicacy required in the treatment 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE EPIPHANY. 71 

of remarks upon a topic so sorrowful, I shall be brief. 
Girls should be discriminate in the company they 
keep. They ought not associate with other girls whose 
conduct is questionable. If these are loud on the street, 
if they go with young men of low reputation, every 
girl who does not wish to blight her future, must avoid 
them. Girls are not careful ; I have seen them dance 
with young men whom they knew to be bad. And 
not only dance, but heap attention upon them. They 
were ignorant of these men's reputation ? Not so ; 
they knew it better than I did. It is quite noticeable, 
that a girl who has regard for herself, is not troubled 
by any attention from such infamous blackguards. 
So when I see a girl knowingly associate with the filth 
of society, I conclude she is not to be estimated ver^- 
highly. And what has been to me a subject of no small 
wonder, is that the parents think the daughter is all 
right ; but they are very anxious for the son. Is it be- 
cause they want to rid themselves of the daughter at any 
cost ? To have her n\arried and off their hands ? From 
the actions of some parents, there appears to be n^ore 
truth than fiction in these remarks: the future of the 
daughter is not much considered ; the life which she is 
leading is of no importance to the parents — so long as 
public disgrace does not result. Yea ; but how often 
does not the shame become known ? How many a 
noble girl is leading a life of sin ? Once she blushed 
at the thought. Death the most painful, but sinless, 
would be preferable to this life in which all honor, all 
affection, all virtue is destroyed ! A young man dying 
on the gallows, is an appalling sight ; but a girl once 
chaste, once an angel, dying in a house of ill-fame, is a 
spectacle of woe indescribable, and of affliction without 
parallel! Beware, therefore, of bad company ! Avoid 



72 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

it as you would avoid the fangs of a serpent. Be not 
attracted by its charms or its gaiety ; for beneath the 
charm lurks destruction, and after the gaiety comes 
sorrow. Be careful, that the good seed sown in your 
hearts is not choked up by the weeds of sin. Pray 
earnestly to God, that He may keep you from evil sur- 
roundings ; that He may protect you from the tempta- 
tions of your own heart, and from the seduction of 
others ; that, when the harvest of your life approaches. 
He may gather you into His eternal home. 



THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY; 

OR, THE 
TWENTY-SEVENTH AFTER PENTECOST. 



The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard-seed 
which a man took and sowed in his field. (Math. xiil. — 31.) 

My Dear Friends : The Kingdom of Heaven, to which 
reference is here made, is, as you know, the kingdom 
of God on earth ; or, in other words, the Catholic Church. 
Our Divine Lord is the one who sowed the mustard- 
seed, the Church. He gave to St. Peter and his succes- 
sors the care of the tree ; but so that no one, at any 
time, could question the legitimacy of their authority, 
He declared: I shall send you the Holy Ghost, Who will 
teach you how to nourish the tree, and I shall abide with you 
forever. This tree developed from the seed, together with 
the commission given the apostles by our divine Saviour, 
is a symbol of the unity of the Catholic Church. The 
branches have spread themselves over the whole world; 
yet they all belong to the trunk or body of the same 
tree. Go where you will, in time or place, you will find 
the Catholic Church teaching the same doctrine, believ- 
ing the same faith, and adhering to the same traditions. 

Some branches, it is true, have been lopped off the 

73 



74 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

tree. The people whom these fallen branches repre- 
sent, maintain they constitute the true Church. Let 
them trace their history to its origin ; then they will 
discover the tree from which they separated, and to which 
they now have no attachment. As every branch 
retains some characteristic qualities of the parent tree • 
so with the different branches detached from the old 
Church — they have some distinguishing marks indica- 
tive of Christianity. 

This tree was planted by the Saviour of the world in 
the morning of the Christian era. It was fertilized by 
the blood of martyrs and consecrated by the lives of 
saints. In its branches the great and the lowly, the 
learned and illiterate, have found safety from the 

storms of doubt and infidelity, which have often swept 
the world. The scholars of every age have drawn 

inspiration from its influence ; the king and the beggar 

have partaken of its benign protection ; and all have 

rested under its shade, in the peaceful repose of 

religious tranquillity. 

We now purpose to speak to you of the unity of that 
Church figuratively represented as the mustard-tree. 
This unity is one of the notable marks which distinguish 
the Catholic Church from the many sects of Chris- 
^ianit3^ She has preserved her unity from the beginning 
until this day, and will until the cross appears again to 
judge the living and the dead. Being commissioned by 
the Son of God, she could not do otherwise ; for truth 
is the same now that it ever was, and must remain 
unchangeable. 

''The Paraclete , the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will 
send in My iiame, will teach you all things " ( St. John xiv. 
— 26.), says her divine Master. ' 'Andbehold, lam withyou 
all days, even to the consummation of the world!' (St. Math. 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. W 

xxviii. — 20.) Since the Holy Ghost taught her all 
truth and continues to teach her, she must be the 
respository of that truth. To her you must look for the 
immutable doctrines of Christianity. From her, too, 
you must learn them, for she is the teacher and guide, 
*' Go forth a?id teach all nations!^ But it maybe retorted: 
' The Catholic Church was once the true Church ; she 
erred, however ; and the power imparted to her has 
been recalled. The Jews were once the chosen people 
of God ; but they abused the high prerogatives bestowed 
upon them, and consequently, the Gospel passed from 
them to the Gentiles. In a similar manner the Catholic 
Church sank into superstition and idolatry ; and as God 
could not countenance such error and abomination, 
he withdrew His pledges : hence the Reformation was 
the instrument used by Him to rehabilitate society. 
The Holy Ghost taught her truth, we admit; but she, in 
turn, did not fulfil her task as teacher ; she had the truth, 
but kept the children of God in ignorance. " Pause a 
moment, my friends. Did not Jesus say : ''Behold^ I 
am luith you all days, eveii to the coiisummatioji of the 
world''? How is it possible for the Son of God to 
associate Himself with falsehood ? If the Church has 
erred, this He has done. Did He not foresee the life of 
the Church.? To say He did not, is to say He is not 
God. No Christian can presume to make use of such 
blasphemy. He saw the future ; He saw the condition 
of the Church from the moment of its establishment 
until time will commingle with eternity. But He said 
He would be with His Church forever ; and where He is, 
error cannot be. Therefore the Old Church was not 
superseded by the Reformation ; nor is the comparison 
between her and the Jewish religion consistent ; for God 
never promised He would be with the latter unceasingly. 



76 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

Unity, that wonderful trait of the Church's character, 
is not found in any human organization. Martin 
Luther, the first of moderns to renounce his allegiance 
to the Old Church, said : '' Come, I shall show you the 
way of salvation. The Church is corrupt. I shall lead 
you from its destroying influence to the living waters 
of life. I shall make life easier for you. I shall not 
only give you freedom of expression, but I shall also 
grant you a license for the indulgence of your passions. 
I being the pope of the new order of religious sen- 
timent, shall set the example. I hereby cast aside 
my vows, and will marry. The one whom I have 
chosen to be my partner in the modern dispensation, 
also ignores her vows. Henceforth it will be known 
to all men that a monk and a nun are your guides ; 
and in order that we may work in harmony, we will be 
man and wife." But he had hardly finished speaking, 
when a voice was heard from merry England. Things 
did not work pleasingly for Henry, so he declared 
himself to be another pope, and set his people both an 
admirable and pious example by discarding his virtuous 
queen and marrying another woman ! Shining lights, 
these new expounders of the word of God ! Mag- 
nanimous in their example as well as godly in the 
worship of their own opinions ! 

Pretty soon there were others who deemed themselves 
worthy to divide the honors with Martin Luther and 
Henry VIIL Catching the spirit of insubordination, 
they arose ; and ere long hundreds were preaching 
salvation in new forms to their fellows, and destruction 
to those who refused to be their disciples. Now all these 
entertained different views of religion, and everyone 
spoke according to his views. That they differed, is 
evident ; for had they no difference, they would all be 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 77 

in one faith ; but they were not, as the testimony of 
their own mouths declares. Luther taught not the 
doctrine of Henry. Calvin disagreed with both. Thus 
everyone differed with every other one. Was this unity? 
Let yourselves answer. But truth is one. It is not 
subject to decay or change. Moreover, our Divine 
Lord never said to Luther, Henry, Calvin, or Wesley, 
and a host of other so-called reformers, '* I shall be with 
you all days, even to the cojisitrnmation of the world.'' 

The unity of the Church, so marvellous in its 
nature as well as perpetual in its endurance, should in- 
duce every rational creature to think. It is one of the 
most ponderous proofs of the divine origin, mission, 
and destiny. To see such unbroken adhesion to faith 
in every age and nation, when everything else suf- 
fered disintegration, is, to say the least, wonderful. 
Schools of philosophy and of science, systems of 
government and of religion, have been repeatedly 
changed ; one school or system arising on the ruins 
of another ; each one maintaining its own excellence 
above all competitors ; all supported by considerable 
scholarship and genius. But time has plucked the laurels 
from the. brows of their advocates and admirers. Old 
systems are forgotten ; or, if remembered at all, they 
are only known by a few who study their principles in 
order to know their defects or to apply what may be 
beneficial in them. Various systems of natural and 
metaphysical science have attracted the attention of the 
world. They rose, flourished, and departed. Monarchs 
swaying the decisions of nations, inflicting ruin and des- 
olation, dictating their will to other powers, have been 
swallowed up in the gulch of oblivion. Opinions have 
changed, crowns have fallen, thrones have tottered, 
the map of Europe has been repeatedly changed, but 



78 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

the unity of the Church remains undisturbed. 
In comparing Protestantism to Catholicity, Mr. 
Guizot, a historian of France, notes the weight of this 
argument based upon the unity of the Church, and 
attempts to obviate its force by observing the difference 
in ecclesiastical government: " People have not known," 
he says, " how to reconcile the rights and necessities 
of tradition with liberty ; and the cause of it has 
undoubtedly been, that the Reformation did not fully 
understand and accept either its principles or its 
effects." Now we inquire, what must Protestantism be 
when it does not understand its own principles and 
effects ? 

A Catholic could have expressed neither a more 
formal nor a more cogent condemnation of Protestant- 
ism than did Mr. Guizot. The Reformation which has, 
we are told, so illuminated the minds of men ; which 
has dragged, from the depths of ignorance, so many 
millions of human creatures ; which has unshackled the 
intellect and given freedom to mankind ; that it did not 
know its principles and effects, is strange indeed. 
Can society, after such a declaration, confide its tem- 
poral welfare and eternal destiny to that establishment 
called the Reformation ? But Mr. Guizot continues : 
" Thence arises a certain air of inconsistency and 
narrowness of spirit which has often given advantages 
over it to its opponent (the Catholic Church). The 
latter knew very well what they did and what they 
wished. They ascended to the principles of their con- 
duct, and avowed all their consequences. There never 
was a government more consistent, more systematic, 
than the Church of Rome." 

Instead of inconsistency and narrowness of spirit, 
which Mr. Guizot, a Protestant, ascribes to Protestant- 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 79 

ism, we would expect from the great Reformation 
harmony in principles and magnanimity in action. But 
the Catholic Church knew very well, says Guizot, what 
she did and what she wished. To be sure she did ; for 
previous to the Reformation she had fifteen centuries of 
experience. She ought to know, especially since the 
Holy Ghost protected her from error and the Son of 
God was on board her barque. Let him tell us what 
was the origin of the Church of Rome ? What made 
her so consistent and systematic in her government ? 
What saved her from the restless elements of dissolu- 
tion, so innate in the minds of men ? Other societies, 
both political and religious, have experienced the 
destroying hand of time as well as the inconsistency of 
human things. The Church, however, continued her 
divine course amid the contentions of states ; she has 
triumphed over the most bitter controversies, and has 
survived the downfall of empires ; she has had, and still 
has, enemies the most implacable, whose mighty power 
was only equalled by their deadly hatred. Yet from 
their maliciousness and from the potent vicissitudes of 
ages, she has come forth united in faith, consistent in 
doctrine, systematic in her government, and untar- 
nished in luster. 

We challenge our adversaries to demonstrate this 
phenomenon on any other basis or hypothesis than 
that of her divine origin. There is not anything in the 
history of knowledge which compares with her unrivalled 
unity. The Catholic religion has flourished in nations in 
war with one another ; though their jealousies clashed, 
she still remained the ruling queen of their hearts and 
consciences. Catholics of various nations met and 
disputed over problems grave in their nature and far- 
reaching in their consequences ; but after the contention, 



80 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY. 

they knelt to adore the same God, in the same manner. 
She has entered the lyceums of knowledge in every land 
for the purpose of arguing the heated questions of the 
hour ; she has invited and encouraged discussion 
upon all themes engaging the attention of the human 
intellect ; yet she has always maintained her unity. 
Her children, in every clime, have won the trophies of 
erudition ; they have disputed among themselves and 
with others ; they have been rivals of one another ; but 
after the struggle had passed, they bowed their laurel 
crowned head to her maternal rules. Notwithstanding 
hunian frailty and human ambition, they remained 
faithful in that unity established by her divine Guide. 
Search history from the dawn of creation until sunset 
this evening ; and if you find anywhere so vast a com- 
bination of genius in union within one faith, so many 
nations in submission to the same spiritual authority, 
so much discussion without a breach in doctrine, you 
will have made an important discovery, and science will 
have to attempt to explain a new phenomenon ! Her 
unity, indeed, can only be explained by the fact that 
the Son of God is the author of her heaven born system. 
Assisted by His power, she has come forth from every 
conflict with victory perched upon her banner, and her 
brow wreathed with the bays of faith, hope, charity, 
and justice. As in the past, so in the future, she will 
continue to teach mankind the truths of religion, em- 
bodied in her commission ; and her glory will consist in 
the number of her saints and martyrs, in the erudition 
of her children, and the unity of their faith I 



SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 



Why stand ye here all the day idle 7 (St. Math. xx. — 6.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Lord here represents 
Himself as a master of a family, who went out at differ- 
ent hours to hire workmen for his vineyard. Even at 
the eleventh hour, when every willing, healthy man 
should be at work, He goes out and finds men loafing 
in the market-place. They were unemployed. No 
man had hired them. Perhaps they did not want to 
labor ; or, the job offered them was not suitable. Some 
of them might be like many in our day, who will not 
labor unless they obtain a peculiar sort of employment, 
something agreeable to themselves. They neverthe- 
less accepted the invitation extended to them by the 
Master ; and when evening had come, they received 
as much reward as the others who had borne the 
burden of the day and the heat. Now this appears, at 
first thought, to be unjust ; yet you must not forget that 
the last laborers might have exerted themselves to the 
extreme limits of their energies. In the time during 
which they toiled, they might have applied themselves 
with all their strength, zeal, and willingness. They 
would thus show their good intention, and give to the 
Master proof of their desire to do all in their power. 
The manner in which they worked, the readiness with 

81 



82 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

which they accepted the invitation, was undoubtedly 
pleasing to the Master, who rewarded them equally with 
the first. The Master, moreover, did no injustice ; for 
He gave to everyone according to the agreement. 

Now you need not be told that many commenta- 
tors on the Scriptures understand the vineyard to be 
the Church ; and the market-place, the world. Some 
persons enter the Church at an advanced age ; others 
are born within its fold ; but the former may be more 
zealous, may see with a keener eye the beauties of the 
Church, may admire with a more profound devotion 
the exhaustless fountains of grace therein contained, 
and may apply these magnificent means of salvation 
to their own souls with more ardor and gratitude than 
the Catholic whose infancy was blessed by the waters 
of regeneration. This one's labor is greater ; that 
one's merit. It is merit, not the labor, which receives 
the reward. It will also be admitted that not a few 
Catholics living and dying in the Church, do not 
deserve the reward due to a single hour of earnest 
Christian effort. 

May not your Lord and Master say to many Catho- 
lics : " Wky stand ye here all the day idle f Yea; 
He may even demand of them : " Why stand ye here 
all the days and months and years of your life, idle ? " 
And they cannot reply, ** No man has hired us" ; for 
they are already hired ; but they are idle, unprofitable 
servants. They have plenty to do, still they do it not. 
They are lazy in the affairs of their eternal salvation. 
They have not the heart, the willingness to labor. 
They must be goaded on. They are not cheerful in 
doing good works. They are not fijled with the spirit 
of love in the performance of their religious duties. 
Instead of striving to excel from day to day, they are 



SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 83 

content in the indifferent, lifeless way in which they 
live. Activity, enterprise, and energy may be their 
characteristics in the other pursuits of life ; but in 
religion, they seem like one sick and without ambition. 
If they hear Mass on Sunday in a very questionable 
frame of mind, this act of devotion to God is sufificient. 
Indeed, we may draw from their conduct the inference, 
that a great favor has been bestowed upon God by the 
performance of the obligation mentioned. Instead of 
that soul-pervading spirit, that religious impetus to do 
all in their power to accomplish the grand end of their 
creation, they are all the day idle ! Are we ? Let us put 
the question to ourselves. Are we ardently engaged 
in the Master's vineyard ? Are we unrelenting in our 
daily pious exercises ? Are we permeated with a 
glowing love for our Creator, and a desire to do His holy 
will ? In the eternal interests of others, do we manifest 
that zeal indispensible to faithful workers in the vineyard 
of the Lord ? Do we set an edifying example ? do we 
discountenance the rude, the vulgar, the licentious ? or 
even reprimand them, when we can ? Are we as zealous 
in saving souls, as we are in making money ? If one 
cares for himself, he may think this enough ; but it is not 
enough. When and where he can, he should exert him- 
self by word and example to bring others to God, Let 
him weigh the cost of a soul — as far as possible estimate 
the worth of a soul as this priceless being appears to 
God ; and then labor to save at least one soul besides his 
own. One of the great causes of indifference in spir- 
itual matters, is that we do not sufficiently dwell upon 
religion, its sincere practice and its aims. 

Although Our Lord accused some of idleness, may 
He not condemn others for being worse than idle ? 
What of those persons who, instead of doing good, are 



84 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

incessantly engaged in doing evil ? What of those 
who, instead of prayer, use the wonderful faculty of 
speech which God has so benignly given them, to 
utter the foulest language ? Not satisfied by degrad- 
ing themselves, they seek to degrade and destroy 
others. In every den of iniquity they saturate them- 
selves with vice and crime ; and then in their madness 
seduce others to enter the thorny, precipitous way to 
hell. And such, sometimes Catholics ! Catholics 
purified in the saving waters of Baptism ! Catholics 
cleansed so often in early life, from sin in the grace- 
giving Sacrament of Penance ! Catholics happy once, 
after Holy Communion, with their Divine Lord in 
their bosoms ! Catholics blessed in so many ways, 
now defiled, now boasting of their wickedness, now 
exulting in the number of their victims ! Alas ! they 
are immensurably worse than idle. Would that they 
were dead beyond the reach of further harm to them- 
selves or destruction to others. Such were called into 
the vineyard ; but bad company, temptation, or their 
own perverseness, has led them from the abode of 
innocence and peace. There are many other Catholics, 
though not addicted to those awful sins which destroy 
while they fascinate, are yet in no wise profitably 
engaged. They, too, are worse than idle. Of those we 
shall not now speak, but shall devote a few moments 
to those who are studious laborers in the Master's 
vineyard. 

In the first place, let us examine the sentence, " Many 
are called, but few are chosen!' According to some 
doctors of the Church, it is supposed that those who 
are not chosen, are damned. Others maintain that 
the expression signifies that all are called to a life of 
grace ; but only a few attain to perfection — only a few 



SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 85 

embrace the religious life and observe the evangelical 
counsels. But now, should our Divine Lord in person 
address you, saying : " Come ijito My vineyard. Why 
are you idle when there is so much to be done f Come, 
labor for Me, and I shall give you eternal life." Could 
you resist the invitation ? Would you turn away from 
Him and say : " Next week, or next month ; or, I am 
yet young, and wish to taste of the pleasures of this 
world. After this I shall comply." Oh, no ; you 
would be fascinated by His goodness and delighted by 
His appeal. Still you seem forgetful that your Lord 
and Master is constantly exhorting you, through His 
Church, to come to Him ; yet how few listen, and 
fewer yet accept the heaven-born inspiration. 

In serving God, you must be heart and soul in your 
efforts. You must bear the burdens of the day and the 
heats. In leading a Christian life, your hearts must be 
submissive. These are maxims — divine utterances, 
essential to you. These beautiful sayings of our Saviour 
must be observed: '' Lear?i of Me, for I am meek a7id 
humble of heart!' ''Love those who hate you ; do good 
to those who despise you ; pray for those who speak evil 
against you!' '' Take up your cross and follow Me,'' 
with many another sublime expression from the lips 
of Jesus Himself. Will you be free from trials in His 
service ? By no means. Affliction will come. Adver- 
sity will strike you cruel blows. Sorrow may haunt 
you. All the ills of life may combine to vent their 
fury upon you ; but Jesus is with you. These will 
draw you closer to Him, and make Him and you 
better friends ; and when the storm is the darkest 
He will quiet your fears and pour the solace of His 
love into your troubled hearts. While your journey 
through life will be marked by trouble, still there 



36 SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

will be a sweetness in your sufferings which will fill 
the heart often with placid joy, just as the balmy 
air of spring expands the heart by its magic influence 
and expels all thoughts of the fierce winter storms. 
Compare the state of your mind with that of those 
who persist in a reckless, sinful career ; and you will 
easily perceive that your troubles are joys : for your 
Heavenly Master is your support, while a cancerous 
conscience, a remorseful heart, and the Infernal One 
whom the sinner has served, torture him night and 
day. 

Begin early in life to love God. Grow not wearisome 
in doing good. Let your highest ambition be to toil 
arduously in the Lord's vineyard. Let your hearts be 
so brimful of heavenly aspiration, that you will ever 
rejoice in seeing others obeying God's law, and in 
doing all in your power to influence your associates to 
avoid bad company. Make use of early life ; consecrate 
yourselves to God's service ; offer every thought, word, 
and action to Him ; and learn also from the following 
words of the poet, not to squander the time given you 
for noble purposes : 

" O Man ! while in thy early years, 
How prodigal of time ! 
Misspending all thy precious hours, 
Thy glorious youthful prime ! 

Alternate follies take the sway, 

Licentious passions burn ; 
Which tenfold force give Nature's law, 

That man was made to mourn." — Burns, 



SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 



Now the parable is this : The seed is the word of God. 
(St. Luke viii. — II.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Saviour explains this parable 
of the sower and the seed so completely as to leave no 
doubt of its signification. The seed is the word of God. 
Some falls by the wayside, and is trampled under foot. 
There is no regard for it. The devil, of course, hates 
the words of divine wisdom, and plucks them out 
before they have even taken root. Some falls upon 
the rocks. There is no moisture ; there is no heavenly 
inspired desire to cherish the seed, and it withers away. 
Some falls upon thorns. These outgrow the seed. 
There is more solicitude for their growth than for the 
word of God. The word which leads to eternal life is 
neglected for the cares and the riches and pleasures of 
temporal life. A portion of the seed, however, falls 
upon good ground, and brings forth fruit a hundred- 
fold. The patient, docile heart listens to the word of 
God, nourishes it in the fertility of a Christian soul, 
with the result of spiritual advancement for himself 
and others. 

Now, we may inquire which of these four classes 
is the happiest ? Which can be the happiest ? Every 
sane person must reply the fourth ; that is, those who 

87 - 



B8 SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

preserve the sacred word of God in their hearts ; because 
the more closely we are united to God, the source of 
all bliss, the more happy we are ; just as the nearer we 
approach the sun, the more we are effected by its heat. 
Why, indeed, so many of the human race disregard the 
teachings of the Eternal Lawgiver, is a problem 
difficult to comprehend. The farther they depart from 
Him, the more miserable they become. In their woes, 
there is little consolation for them. They have aban- 
doned the invigorating rays of heaven. When old age 
comes upon them, whither will they look for solace ? 
and when the grave yearns to receive them, where will 
be the star of their hope ? If there is a struggle in the 
death of the just, who can depict the despair of the 
unrepentant sinner ? 

How many of our Protestant friends may be com- 
pared to the wayside upon which the seed fell ! They 
hear often much about the Catholic Church. At their 
leisure, they will examine her claims. They will give 
her an impartial hearing before the tribunal of their 
private judgment. In all sincerity, I believe they mean 
well ; but ere the examination, such as it may be, 
is considered, the prejudice or bigotry of pamphlets read 
or of fanatical ministers heard, pluck the thought from 
their minds, and the investigation is never begun. 
Had the research not been postponed ; had unbiased 
reason, with her lamp filled even from Nature's source, 
been permitted to examine the mooted questions, how 
many Protestants would think better of the Church ; 
nay, how many converts would there not be for the 
Church of Christ ! The seed is plucked out, lest believ- 
ing, they may be saved. Indeed, we may add, without 
fear of doing injustice to anyone, that bad Catholics 
are often the ones who tear out the word of God from 



SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. " 89 

many a heart. Their shameful excesses, their corrupt- 
ing behavior, their disregard for the teachings of their 
Church, sometimes induce Protestants to imagine that the 
Catholic faith is the parent of such abominable disorders. 

The rocks upon which the seed barely germinated, 
may suggest to us those Catholics to whom we have 
already referred. They have received the word of God 
with joy. As children, they rejoiced in the blessings of 
an innocent life. But, alas! how the character of the 
heart has changed. The frosts of temptation blew 
upon the seed. Where all was once so fair, now the 
blight of sin has blasted every lovely virtue, every 
great-souled inspiration ! Where angels loved to hover, 
now the dark mantle of iniquity hangs like a pall over 
the death-chamber of many an exalted aspiration ! 
Deplorable it is to see Catholics sinking into the abyss 
of wickedness ; and what is worse, maintaining those 
dives of drunkenness where those who enter leave 
innocence behind ! They receive the word with joy ; 
but their joys are transformed into ruination for them- 
selves and the unwary. 

The seed also fell among thorns. It was choked 
by the weeds. Here you can easily perceive a struggle* 
An effort is made ; yet it is too feeble, and the seed brings 
forth no fruit. Every nerve might have been strained 
for a time, so that the seed might not fail. The Sacra- 
ment of Penance was approached with a contrite heart ; 
the bread of angels was received to nourish the word 
therein mystically veiled ; but the desire of riches and 
pleasures, the engrossing cares of life — all were too 
much for a person with a strong inclination for the 
vile, though he might have entertained some relish for 
the good and the pure. What was the outcome ? 
No less a person than Christ the Saviour has told you 



90 SEXAGESlMA SUNDAY. 

that the thorns of care and pleasure and riches 
suffocated the word, which is to those who preserve 
it, a pledge of endless felicity. The thorns of life 
are often preferred to the roses of innocent tranquillity. 
The eternal word is weighed against the weeds of 
avarice and lasciviouness and intemperance, and the 
weeds preponderate. Often, indeed, the word of God is 
not a feather in the balance. A choice is instituted 
between Jesus and the robber of temporal and eternal 
joys ; and like the Jews, the preference is for the rob- 
ber. Would that Catholics reflected upon the enormity 
of their transgressions, and the awful consequences 
thereof ! 

Why do not Catholics ponder well in their hearts, 
the word of God, and be directed by its salutary sug- 
gestions ? To this question it may be answered that in 
many cases they have no relish for anything or any 
person that would restrain them from the inevitable 
destruction which awaits them. They have eyes, 
but they see not ; ears, and they hear not ; intellects, 
still they do not understand. Sin has blinded their 
eyes and made deaf their ears to the teachings of Christ. 
The intellect is blunted, while the pure, elevating emo- 
tions of the heart are poisoned by the cravings for the 
filthy and the lecherous. If they attend Mass, they 
never hear a sermon. This is avoided b}^ hearing an 
early Mass, only to spend the remainder of the day in 
debauchery. Were this class of Catholics to listen to a 
sermon occasionally, they would derive much spiritual 
benefit therefrom. The seed of the word of God may 
find an entrance into their souls and fructify. They 
may pause, and in their meditation resolve to abandon 
forever those haunts which bring them no good. In 
this manner, they would nurture the word of God in their 



SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 91 

hearts. It would stimulate them to devotion, and 
devotion would draw them nearer to their God. 

Still, it is very painful to think of the number of 
Catholics who do listen to sermons, yet imbibe no good 
therefrom. The admonitions are always for somebody 
else. They seldom take them to themselves. If, how- 
ever, the remark fits them as closely as a plaster of Paris 
jacket does a patient, then they are fired with bitterness 
foward the priest who has dared to be so bold. In 
fact, the priest may not know of their excesses, and 
consequently never intended the sermon to be more 
than an exhortation against sin. His comments flow 
as naturally from the Gospel as water from a fountain ; 
but since water washes away the dirt it meets, so the 
words of the priest collide with the dross of polluted 
hearts. The priest who labors unremittingly to expel 
immorality and drunkenness from his congregation, is 
one who will be paid by bitter censure and unkind 
invectives. He is nevertheless the sower. He must 
be dauntless ; and in the end his enemies will praise 
his zealousness ; yes, even pray for him, for they find 
him their friend. 

Others will take the sermon as a subject for afternoon 
gossip. It was such a delightful discourse. How 
eloquent in delivery ! How masterful in the treatment 
of the subject ! How broad and liberal in its compre- 
hension ! Really, I could sit and listen to such a 
sermon for hours. But how such a person's ears must 
have tingled ? I would have been so ashamed, I could 
not have sat there. I venture to say the sermon was 
meant for him, and indeed he could have taken every 
word to himself. I wonder how the priest found it all 
out. Somebody must have told him all. Well, it is a 
good thing. In this manner the talk goes on. But do 



92 SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

they take the lessons contained in the sermom to them- 
selves ? Oh, no ; they are beyond criticism of every 
sort. But is this gossip charitable ? Is this what the 
Catholic Church teaches them ? What good have these 
slanderers obtained from the sermon or from assisting at 
the adorable sacrifice of the Mass ? Are they not, alas ! 
blinded to their own best interests and those grand 
precepts taught by the Son of God ? 

We are happy, however, to know that many there are 
who make the word of God the rule of their lives. 
They do not hear to forget or disregard, but to comply 
with the teachings of the Church. These bring forth 
fruit a hundredfold, in patience. The dark, rolling 
clouds of trouble may gather around them ; still from 
beyond the tempest they know that God is looking 
down upon them, that He will protect them by His 
almighty arm. The clouds break, and the horizon of 
the future once more is serene. From the storm they 
have gathered strength. Gratitude fills their hearts 
for the protection given them. In every-day life they 
are practical Catholics. In all their transactions they 
are governed by the will of heaven. They draw lessons 
of wisdom from the things around them, and in all the 
manifestations of Nature, they behold signs of a benevo- 
lent Creator. They are faithful Catholics, and by this 
fidelity they are elevated to a contemplation of human 
existence and the goodness of God. From this contem- 
plation they derive solace in adversity and confidence 
in the Almighty. In this manner they nourish the seed 
of the word of God ; they produce an abundance of 
fruit, and they die the death of the just. 

Let us learn a lesson to-day from the Gospel. Our 
Lord spoke thus, that all generations may take heed. 
We should not only approve of His teachings, but also 



SEXAGESIMA SUNDAY. 93 

lay them up in our hearts ; making them the criterion 
of our conduct, so that we, too, may bring forth fruit 
a hundredfold. 



QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 



Then Jesus took unto Himself t/ie twelve y and said to them : 
Behold^ we go up to Jerusalem^ and all things shall be aeeom- 
plished^ which were written by the prophets, concerning the 
Son of Man. (Luke xviii. — 31.) 

My Dear Friends: Our hoi}- IMothcM- the Church places 
before our minds this niornini;-, a very useful subject for 
our consideration. Jesus invites the apostles to accom- 
pany Him to Jerusalem. In the past, they had been 
witnesses of His prodigious works ; they were soon to 
behold the awful tragedy of His passion and death. He 
wishes them present, that they may see the things about 
to be accomplished, and afterward to publish to all man- 
kind the things which they saw. His religion was not 
to die with Himself, but survive Him ; hence it was 
indispensibletohave witnesses of His acts — persons who 
would promulgate to the world the things which they 
saw and heard. The apostles were ignorant of the 
terrible acts about to transpire. Before long, how- 
ever, they realized the mournful truth: 'He shall he 
mocked and scourged and spit upon .... a fid put to death.'' 

Let me invite you, my dear friends, now, almost on 
the eve of Ash-Wednesday, to meditate upon our duty 
during the holy season of Lent. Let us in thought go 
up to ancient Jerusalem. What do you behold ? Jeru- 



QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 95 

salem with all her pristine splendors ; Jerusalem, within 
whose walls the Jews so often had gathered together in 
prayer ; Jerusalem, the pride of the Jews and the object 
of their solicitous care ; Jerusalem, which is now about 
to be the theatre in which will soon be enacted the 
awfulest drama in the history of human affairs ! We see 
a little group enter one of the gates. It is Jesus and His 
apostles. We feel like prostrating ourselves before His 
adorable person, but fear to make so bold. There are 
the doctors of the law and Herod and Caiphas and 
Pilate. We peer into the judgment hall, where the sen- 
tence will be pronounced which will astonish heaven 
itself. Overawed by these recollections crowding upon 
you, you ask: "For what is all this?" You need not be 
told that all these scenes recurrmg to your imagination, 
find their reality in the life and death of Christ; and the 
merits of that life and death you should apply to your 
own souls. 

There is a Jerusalem beyond the grave — your heavenly 
home — for the possession of which you should strive. 
Your Lord said to His apostles : ''Behold, wc go up to 
Jcf2isa/cni.'\ ..." Come to My Jerusalem, come where there 
is no pain ; you shall not be mocked or scourged or 
spit upon; nor shall you here hwiv death. Will 
you accept the invitation ? Yes ! everyone exclaims. 
But you must remember that the way thereto is steep 
and rugged. Efforts — stern, uncompromising efforts are 
demanded of all those who will reach this home of end. 
less happiness. How did Jesus throw open the portals 
of these eternal mansions of joy ? By climbing Calvary 
with His cross and dying an ignominious death thereon. 
Should you attain to those heavenly raptures pre- 
pared for the just, you, too, must take up your cross and 
bear it bravely until you have reached the summit of 



96 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

your years on earth. How will you accomplish this 
feat ? The way is simple enough in itself, yet arduous ; 
but the heat and the burden will be much diminished, if 
you be friends of your merciful Redeemer. Everyone 
wishes to be His friend. He is so deserving of your 
friendship, so watchful of you, so desirous for both 
your temporal and eternal interests, that you cannot 
refuse to be His friends. Still, it must not be over- 
looked, that the permanency of such friendship requires 
an incessant struggle. Enemies are on all sides of you. 
Nay, more; you are not seldom your own most bitter 
enemies. The world, with its allurements, must be 
avoided ; the devil must be conquered ; yourselves must 
be subdued. All this is no easy task. The blandish- 
ments of the wicked are to be shunned; the temptations 
of hell must be overcome ; your own follies, together 
with your low propensities, are to be banished ; and 
instead of these things you must cultivate a love for every- 
thing morally high, ennobling, and sublime. The way 
to heaven is arduous, we have intimated ; thorns are 
strewn there ; but roses are there, too. It is the truly 
great who are found therein — the honest and the truth- 
ful, the noble-souled and faithful. Were one to make 
an intelligent choice, it is here he would wish to be 
found, with no shame upon his brow nor malice in his 
heart, rather than among the vile, the lecherous, and 
the polluted. 

But having made the selection of the way to the 
paradise beyond the grave, how will you persist in your 
resolution ? The holy season into which you are about 
to enter will teach you what are requisite for the jour- 
ney. It will be a training which, if properly observed, 
will impart a discipline which will be a lamp to 
your understanding, a guide to your poor bruised feet, 



QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 97 

and an angel directing your emotions. The meditation 
suggested by Lent, the devotion of the Way of the Cross, 
alms, prayer, and fasting, all purify the soul, while they 
exalt it to an affectionate contemplation of the pas- 
sion, death, and love of the Son of God. From a devout 
consideration of all the mercies of Jesus toward the 
human race, will arise a nobleness of thought, a lofti- 
ness of aspiration, a purity of intention, which will lift 
you above yourselves, and anchor your affections in the 
bosom of your Saviour. 

Where can you find a better means for self-discipline 
than in fasting ? It trains you to suppress your appe- 
tites. The cravings for luxury and abundance are sup- 
pressed; and instead of catering to their whims, you 
give to Nature little where much is demanded. You 
thus become masters of yourselves. The denials are 
not such as to endanger health; but, on the contrary, 
they bestow strength of character, as well as restraint 
of animal desires. An effort entailing sacrifice is 
required ; still, as all worthy sacrifices have an inestimable 
reward, so with fasting. It makes you feel how weak 
and frail you are, how much you are depending upon 
God's bounty, and conduces you to look with pity upon 
the frailty of others. While it humbles you in this 
manner, it only bids you think of your own lowliness, 
of your own poverty of body and mind. You form 
thereby a true estimate of yourselves, as well as a higher 
idea of others ; you are in this manner cementing the 
foundations upon which you can erect a permanent 
structure of charitable works and intellectual archieve- 
ments. You also obtain control of yourselves ; 
you weed out vice and sin, while you sow the seeds of 
virtue, and merit the gifts of grace. In fine, the great- 
est proof for the efficacy of fasting, is in the example 



98 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

of Jesus Himself. Did He know it would be injurious 
to mankind, do you think He would ever have given 
you such a precedent for imitation. It was not for 
Himself He fasted, but to teach you a lesson of its 
usefulness, and of the nobleness which self-abnegation 
imparts. 

Though the Scriptures abound with proofs of the 
merit and excellence of fasting, and reason concurs in 
admitting its beneficent fruits, it is only our intention to 
merely recall to your minds, at this time, its wonder- 
ful efificacy, so that you may ponder, at your leisure, 
upon the vast scope which it embraces. Having, there- 
fore, intimated the practice and its benefits, we shall 
devote a few thoughts to almsgiving. 

To give alms is, indeed, a praiseworthy act of charity. 
It is of a twofold benefit: it helps the recipient and 
blesses the giver. By giving to the needy, man becomes 
a benefactor of God : '^As long as you did it to one of these , 
My least brethre?i, you did it to Me.'' ( St. Math . xx v. — 40. ) 
Your astonishment at these words of your Lord and 
Saviour must increase when you sufificiently weigh their 
importance, for from these words we conclude that he 
who refuses assistance to the poor, refuses the God of the 
poor ; and he who refuses God, may in the timeof distress, 
look in vain to Him for help. Why, then, not assist the 
needy ? Why should some starve or suffer the pangs 
of hunger, when others are burdened with wealth ? Is 
not man only the steward of his opulence, the possessor 
for a few years ? Will he deny to his fellow-man, in 
days of need, a helping hand, yet expect that God will 
pardon the narrowness of his flinty heart? '^ He who 
soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly ; and he who soweth 
ijL blessings, shall also reap of blessings!' (2 Cor. ix. — 6.) 
We may add that he who sows nothing, will reap nothing, 



QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 99 

The stingy will be rewarded according to the measure 
meted out by him. His grasping and hoarding will 
poison the fountain of magnanimous emotion in his 
niggardly heart. In his store of wealth he will expect 
to find comfort, but he will only find wretchedness and 
sorrow. The one who gives with as generous a heart 
as his purse allows, will reap the blessings of the poor 
and the benedictions of heaven. 

Almsgiving bestows upon the donor fervent im- 
pulses, which help him to a closer union with heaven. 
His soul is filled with inexpressible satisfaction and 
tranquillity; his heart beats in sympathy with the 
unfortunate and the hungry. The recollections of favors 
bestowed, as well as the happiness accruing to the 
assisted, bring him blessings indescribable. He is 
laying up treasures where the moth or the rust will not 
devour, but where he will receive incalculable usury on 
his investment. Everyone, consequently, should give, 
during this season of Lent, what alms he is able. Such 
will be a very meritorious work : it will blot out many 
of his transgressions, and will render others happy. He 
will have their prayers. Upon his death-bed, the 
remembrance of his charitable acts will be a solace to 
him; and the angel of charity will wipe away the cold, 
clammy sweat from his noble forehead. 

Let us now dwell briefly upon that sublime exercise — > 
the Way of the Cross. During the year, every Catholic 
should engage often in this very pious devotion. No 
week should escape in which he does not make the sta- 
tions; but, if this is true of other seasons of the year, and 
undoubtedly it is, how much more so at this time. You 
will be preparing for the glorious feast of the Resurrection. 
You intend to participate with true Catholic piety, in 
the festivities of that joyful Sunday ; but how can you 



LofC. 



100 QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY. 

have the proper spirit, unless you meditate upon your 
Lord's journey from Pilate's judgment hall to the sepul- 
chre ? Will He grant to those who are indifferent to 
His passion an exalted appreciation for His magnificent 
Resurrection ? They who have no heart to feel for His 
sufferings, will not partake of the glories of the feast. 
It is unnecessary to urge you to participate in this 
devout exercise, to join the Church throughout the coun- 
try in her pious prayers — because you are impregnated 
with a love of the cross and all it teaches. This devotion 
includes, of course, all which could be said on prayer ; 
for it contains heart-affecting thoughts upon Christ's 
humiliation, torture, and death. The Way of the Cross 
assures you of Christ's love for man, awakens loving 
compassion for your beneficent Redeemer, and draws 
you nearer Him and His heavenly Jerusalem. 

Let us, then, my dear friends, begin Lent in a spirit 
of true contrition and love — contrition for all our sins, 
and love for our greatest Benefactor and Friend. We 
are notignorantof the significance of our Saviour's words: 
''Let us go up to Jerusalem^ The apostles, at the time, 
did not interpret His meaning, but by His death these 
words were made clear to us. We ought, therefore, to 
listen to the voice of our holy Mother the Church, 
calling upon us in spirit to go up to Jerusalem for the 
purpose of meditating upon the wonders which there 
transpired. By submission to her entreaties, Lent will 
be for us a time of thoughtful prayer, and a means of 
replenishing our souls at the fountain of divine grace. 
In the energetic and benevolent performance of our 
religious duties of this Lenten season, let us hope to earn 
for ourselves the blessings of the poor ; and at the last 
moment of our lives, the invitation from our Saviour : 
" Come up with Me to the Jerusalem of endless joys y 



FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 



Then Jesus said to him : Begone^ Satan^ for it is written : 
The Lord thy God thou shalt adore^ and Him only shalt thou 
serve. (Math. iv. — lo.) 

My Dear Friends : We have here a striking proof of 
Satan's boldness, together with a forcible manifestation 
of his malice toward mankind. He assailed heaven ; 
he conquered Paradise ; now he tempts the Son of 
God Himself. Exulting in his conquest of Eden, he 
believed his revenge against heaven and against man 
was assured. In order that he may accomplish his 
designs, he has incessantly striven to withdraw the 
human race from its allegiance to the Creator. ''Like a 
roaring lion'' says St. Paul, " he goes about seekijig whom he 
may devour!' The greater the servant of God, the greater 
is his malicious efforts. When a person is in a position to 
do much good, when by his example or teaching he may 
conduct many into the service of God, the devil strains 
every exertion to subdue this righteous servant, that by 
his fall many others may be lost to God and be enrolled 
under the banner of hell. In his victory over our first 
parents, he had, by his subtle flattery, conquered the first 
of the human race and the most perfect types of man- 
kind. In the person of Jesus, he saw a most extra- 
ordinary character. He had heard at the baptism of 
Jesus, ^^This is My beloved Son, in whom, I am well 

101 



102 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENI?. 

pleased^' but still doubted whether Jesus was the Son of 
God. To test Him, Satan awaits for what seems to him a 
favorable opportunity. Our Saviour, after a protracted 
fast of forty days, is hungry. Then the devil appears, 
and invites Him to change the stones at His feet into 
bread, thus relieving His hunger by partaking of the 
bread so miraculously transformed from stone. "// is 
witte?i,' ' sdiys our Saviour to him, " ma?i liveth not by bread 
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of 
Godr 

The devil, by no means dismayed, renews his tempta- 
tion. Jesus is taken by him, and set upon the pinnacle 
of the temple He bids Our Lord to cast Himself down, 
flattering Him that angels would protect Him from 
harm. But Jesus is more than man ; and consequently 
not a victim of Satan's cunningness, as were Adam and 
Eve and millions of others. Satan next holds out a 
most tempting offer. He will bestow the world and the 
glory thereof upon the Creator of them, if falling down, 
He would adore him. Jesus now manifests His power 
and authority over Satan. He commands the devil : 
''Begone, Satan, for it is written: The Lord thy God thou 
shalt adore, and Him only shall thou serve." The pride 
and arrogance of Lucifer were in this instance over- 
thrown. He obeyed the mandate, and departed from 
Jesus. By his compliance to the command, ^^Begone, 
Satan'' he acknowledged his own inferiority and the 
supremacy of the Saviour of mankind. The devil, though 
damned into hell, adores and serves Almighty God. 
He adores Him, because he must revere Him as God, 
the Supreme Ruler ; and he serves Him, because he is 
in hell by divine command, and in obedience to the 
supreme will. 



FiESf SUNDAY IN LENT. 103 

It is our duty also to adore and serve God ; not from 
compulsion, but from salutary fear and filial love. He 
has given us free will ; hence we can adore and serve 
Him, or refuse Him the homage of our obedience. Yet, 
if we do not, the day will come when we must serve the 
term of punishment imposed upon us by Eternal Justice. 
Indeed, it is not the fear of punishment which ought 
to compel us to serve the Creator ; but actuated by love 
the truest and most profound, we should with pleasure 
obey His will. By obedience toward Him, we perform 
the noblest duty which is in the power of man to 
execute. We become not only servants of God, but His 
children by adoption. To claim to be a child of the 
Eternal Father, and have that claim allowed, is the 
grandest privilege bestowed upon man. We are His 
children because He created us, and there is no power 
capable of depriving us of such blessed inheritance, 
except that within the grasp of our own free will. By 
our own conduct, we remain, after baptism, children of 
God and heirs to heaven ; or we become imps of 
Luciferandvictimsof hell. God has not been wanting 
in His holy care for us. In creating man, observe the 
majesty which He vouchsafed to confer upon him. ''Let 
us make man" says Almighty God, '' according to our 
own image and likeness'' Wonder of wonders that 
God would in such a marvellous way dignify man ! 
That there would be any comparison between the 
Creator of heaven and earth — the eternal, self-existing 
Being and His poor, frail creature — man ! That God, 
whose immensity is boundless, whose majesty is 
beyond description, whose glory is equal to His immen- 
sity ; that He would deign to impress upon man His 
image and His likeness ! Should we hesitate to give 
to such a Benefactor our allegiance and our homage ? 



104 FIEST SUNDAY IN LENT. 

Ought we ever cease praising and thanking Him for 

so incomparable a favor ? With unfaltering love we 

should obey Him, that by our ready obedience we may / 

give some proof of our high appreciation for this 

unparalleled beneficence toward the human race. 

In order that we may the better understand the kind- 
ness of heaven in our behalf, let us institute a compari- 
son. You are aware that the servants of a kinsf or 
other ruler, consider themselves much honored by 
being in the special service of their king. As their 
promotion goes onward, at each step coming closer to 
their ruler, their gratitude and fidelity increase. Were 
the king to adopt some of them into his own family, 
thereby becoming heirs to the kingdom, their joy 
would know no bounds. In their allegiance to the 
throne, they would brave every danger, and on every 
occasion demonstrate their love and attachment to 
their king. But when the king has bestowed every 
favor within his power, he falls immensurably short 
of what the King of kings. Almighty God, has conferred 
upon you. Could the temporal ruler give you so much 
as a single faculty of your soul or function of your 
body ? Though you already possess these, he could 
not so much as put them in healthy operation, were 
they to become impaired. Ponder well upon the 
inestimable, the mysterious powers which God has given 
you, and the feebleness of kings and the meagreness of 
their grandest gifts ; then you will have some concep- 
tion of God's goodness toward you. 

But, how often you find soldiers and statesmen serv- 
ing with fidelity tyrants who are haughty, unscrupulous, 
and savage. Soldiers will march bravely to the cannon's 
mouth, to be shot down in defence of despots. Generals 
will vie with one another in order that a tyrannical 



FIKST SUNDAY IN LENT. 105 

emperor will smile upon them, or that some greater dis- 
tinction may be conferred, upon them. Even soldiers, 
whose native land has been pillaged, robbed of its hered- 
itary rights, will rush into the jaws of death in obedience 
to the tyrant who has trampled upon their rights^ 
impoverished their country, and driven their very 
parents into exile. How often, on many a bloody field, 
have not the Irish braved every danger and met death 
defiantly in defence of the English crown. You know 
the history of English gratitude toward them. Poland 
is another among the many examples which can be 
cited. In the Crimean War, after an awful battle, the 
Czar visited the hospital. There among the wounded 
and dying, he addressed a Polander who was suffer- 
ing intense pain from his many wounds. The Czar 
endeavored to console him by praising his courage and 
the fortitude with which he bore his suffering, adding 
that he proved himself a great soldier, and fell fighting 
in the noblest cause in which a man could be engaged ; 
namely, in defence of his country's honor. Where- 
upon the soldier, striving to raise his head upon his 
hand, replied : ** Alas ! I have no country. I lie strug- 
gling in the grasp of death, for you who have plundered 
my country and destroyed its existence. Were I dying 
in a struggle for my native land, these wounds would be 
the highest marks of honor. Yea, had I a thousand 
lives, they would all be freely given in defence of 
Poland's flag ! But I die, and the land of my fathers is 
no more ! " 

You remember, or have read, with what bravery the 
German Catholic soldiers, in the Franco-Prussian War, 
fought to overthrow the French. What the reward 
was, you remember. For their sacrifices and indomit- 
able service, they were repaid by persecution. Re- 



106 FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT, 

ligious orders were expelled, Catholic Church prop- 
erty was confiscated, and bishops were imprisoned. 
Now, does not all this suggest the words of Cardinal 
Wolsey : " Had I served my God with half the zeal I 
served my king, He would not in mine old age have left 
me naked to my enemies." 

Now, to serve one's country is the duty of every 
citizen ; and while all, without exception, approve of 
such devotion to the nation's banner, yet we insist that 
everybody is bound by stronger obligations to adore 
and serve God. The duty we owe our country does 
not conflict with the duty we owe to heaven. In truth, 
a firm adherence to God makes people better citizens ; 
for our allegiance to the Creator widens our compre- 
hension of our civic obligations, adjusts political and 
religious differences, enlarges our views of just govern- 
ment, stimulates to honesty and justice and patriotism. 
Moreover, a successful ruler must be a great servant of 
God. Without God for a guide, there is nothing to 
direct him in the administration of justice, nothing to 
restrain him from violating the rights and privileges of 
his people. Compare Charlemagne with Nero, St. 
Louis with Napoleon Bonaparte, Leo XHL with 
Bismarck, and you will be able to form some notion of 
the ideas I wish to impress upon you. 

All these examples of courage, fidelity, and Christian 
loyalty serve no other purpose than to awaken in your 
bosoms a truer devotion to the Lord of all creation. 
You readily concede that you should adore and serve 
God ; but on account of temptation and lukewarmness, as 
well as other causes, you sometimes fail in giving God 
unalloyed homage and undivided service. In obeying 
God, you are performing at once a duty indispensable 
to happiness and spotless nobility. In serving God, 



FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT. 107 

an equilibrium between the reason and the passions is 
established, the true dignity of nations and individuals 
are better understood, and the sacred rights of all are 
secured. Peace, good will, prosperity, honesty ; in a 
word, everything which makes a people contented, 
unselfish, and happy, is realized. 

Let me now put a question to you. It is an impor- 
tant one. Upon its fulfilment depends misery or joy. 
It is this : Which will you serve, God or the devil ? 
You must serve one or the other. Will you follow 
that which is base and degrading, defiled and defiling ; 
or that which is innocent and majestic, pure and 
ennobling ? Will you sink yourselves into debauchery, 
infamy, and sin ; or raise yourselves by temperance 
righteousness, and chastity ? Do you choose a. prison 
cell instead of an honorable life ? Do you prefer the 
dens of iniquity to a happy home ? Do you select 
hell in preference to heaven ? — then fall down and adore 
Satan. If, on the contrary, your hope is fertilized by 
your constancy to God, and your ambition is to serve 
Him, then with prayer and confidence ever repeat the 
text of this sermon : " Begone, Sata7i^ for it is written : The 
Lord thy God thou shalt adore, and Him only shalt thou 
serve'' 



SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 



And as He was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud over- 
shadowed them. And lo ! a voice out of the cloud, saying: 
This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased j hear ye 
Him. (Math. xvii. — 5.) 

Mount Tabor, my dear friends, is honored by this 
august group of distinguished persons who gather on 
its summit. Never was a spot more favored, except 
the stable at Bethlehem and the Cross on Calvary. In 
all the grand assemblies of the world, there is nothing 
to becompared to this memorable gathering. Royalty 
with all its equipage, is as nothing in the comparison ; 
and Tabor is clad in a splendor as much surpassing 
the magnificence of kingly halls, as its size preponder- 
ates over the crowns of kings and emperors. Who 
constitute this sublime group ? The Gospel just read 
to you, gives you their names. They were Peter, James, 
and John, the Apostles ; Moses, Ellas, and Jesus. Our 
Saviour took with Him Peter, James, and John, three 
poor and unlettered men, to show to the world that He 
did not depend upon the power or erudition of the great 
for the promulgation of His doctrine ; and that these 
are not necessary to the acquirement of the eternal 
splendor of heaven. But His Apostles He wanted with 
Him to be witnesses of His Transfiguration, to behold 

108 



SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 109 

with their own eyes a glimpse of His majesty. He was 
soon to be crucified — to die an ignominious death upon 
the cross. In the hour of darkness, in the infamy of the 
cross, the apostles may doubt His divinity. He now 
impresses upon their souls a splendor and a sublimity 
which will never be effaced. The rabble may bind Him 
in the garden and drag Him to prison as an infamous 
impostor ; Jews may mock Him, scourge Him, and crown 
Him with thorns, — but the memory of Mount Tabor can 
never be obliterated. No degradation is so complete, 
no calumny so subtle or vicious, no death so disgrace- 
ful, as to banish the magnificence of that glorious 
scene ! 

Moses appears as the representative of the ancient 
laws ; Elias comes as the prince of the prophets. Both 
testify that this is the Son of God ; that He is the 
embodiment of the law and the prophets, — that it was 
of Him they prophesied. To intensify this testimony, 
Jesus was transfigured before them : " A?id His face 
did shine as the su?i, and His garmeiits became zvhite as 
snow!' The Apostles are astounded by the glory of 
the Son of God and the magnificence of the environ- 
ments. St. Peter exclaims : ''Lord, it is good for us 
to be here ; if Thou wilt let us make three tabernacles ; 
one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias!' — ** Aiid 
while He was yet speakijig^ behold a white cloud over- 
shadowed them ; and lo ! a voice out of the cloud, sayiiig : 
This is My beloved So?i in whom I a?n well pleased ; hear 
ye Him!' The Eternal Father again declares Him to 
be His Son, and commands mankind to hear Him. 
Overawed by the grandeur of the sight, the presence 
of Moses and Elias, the splendor of the Transfigur- 
ation, the appearance of the cloud, and the voice 
of the Almighty from the heavens, the Apostles are 



110 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 

seized by fear. They are thrilled with admiration 
and awe by the breath of heaven ; they are confirmed 
in faith ; they are prepared now to witness the humili- 
ation of Christ, without suffering from scandal or loss 
of faith. 

Now you may say to yourselves : " Oh, had we been 
blessed by that grand manifestation of Christ's power, 
every doubt would be banished from our souls! We 
could labor with a greater zeal for the glory of God, 
and our devotion toward Him could never grow cold. 
Death itself would be w^elcome ; no terror would be 
contained therein ; for it would only be a means of 
uniting us forever with the consuming object of our 
affections." Whatever you may think in your own 
minds, it is certain that many a one tossed upon the 
billows of doubt and infidelity would rejoice in that 
scene. They would thank God with the most glowing 
fervor for such a sublime privilege ; would become 
adherents of the Cross ; would glory in being followers 
of the Crucified. But have you not sufficient evidence 
to convince the skeptic, though he saw not the glory of 
Tabor? Have you not arguments the most convincing 
and irresistible of Christ's divinity ? Yea, you, too, have 
testimony, and to my mind, even more persuasive than 
the Transfiguration, although an expression of this sort 
may appear exaggerated. From the universal conduct 
of man may be drawn proofs of Our Lord's divinity, 
which are in their nature incontrovertible, and challenge 
the admiration of all thinking people ; for in man's 
actions we observe him governed by one or more of 
these motives : the thirst for wealth, the thirst for 
pleasure, or the thirst for power. From these three 
impelling motives we shall demonstrate the divinity of 
Jesus, the Saviour of the world. 



SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. Ill 

The thirst for wealth ! What is it that man will not 
attempt in order to seize this glittering object of his 
desires ? The polar snows are no barrier to him ; nor 
can the torrid heat prevent him ; pestilence terrifies 
him not ; he will even defy death itself in his burning 
desire for wealth. In his feverish excitement, no toil 
is too wearisome, no risk too dangerous, no exposure 
too exhausting for him. Friendship will be bartered ; 
the sacred pledges of honor will be violated ; family 
ties will be torn asunder, if these only are obstacles 
to his ambition for opulence ! Honesty is nothing ! 
Reputation is of no moment ! The rights of others 
are of no consequence ! Health, contentment, and the 
charms of home are all to no purpose ; he must have 
money ! If he cannot get it by fair means, he will 
obtain it by treachery. He will condemn himself to 
servitude in prison ; he will even plunge his hands 
into the blood of his fellow-men for the sake of its 
acquirement. 

Still, in the presence of this feverish craving, amidst 
these surging masses, you see persons turning aside 
from the throng and taking the vow of voluntary 
poverty. Leaving wealth — departing from its lucrative 
honors — they exile themselves. For what ? Why do 
they differ from the multitude ? Why bid an everlasting 
farewell to that for which others sacrifice everything ? 
Are there any formulas in science which will solve this 
phenomenon ? Is there any genius who will explain 
this abandonment upon scientific principles ? Is there a 
single fact in the nature of things to unravel this mystery? 
No ; it cannot be explained except on the hypothesis 
that Jesus is divine and the Son of the Most High. The 
religious of both sexes have listened to the command 
given by Almighty God on Mount Tabor : " Hear ye 



112 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 

Him!' These have not only heard Him, but have 
obeyed his heavenly invitation. 

Let us now consider the second great motive prompt- 
ing man's conduct — the thirst for pleasure. It may be 
simple amusement of some sort or another ; or it 
may be an indulgence in the brimming bowl which 
destroys. In drunkenness some take delight. They 
hesitate not to wallow in the mire, if their heads only reel 
under the influence of potent beverage. But the one, 
universal motive impelling mankind is carnal pleasure. 
The passion burns in the heart, ofttimes producing a 
gale which drives men and women, too, from the path 
of honor into whirlpools of destruction. To satiate 
this desire, innocence is immolated upon the altar of 
sinful pleasure. The noblest virtue is sold in the 
market of lust. The hopes of a promising career are 
weighed in the balance of passion, and are but a trifle 
in the scales of carnal desires. Either legitimately or 
illegitimately, the human race is borne to the goal of 
sexual pleasures. Some will be hurled along by their 
unbridled desires, until respect, reputation, and purity 
are lost. They care not, finally, whether a thousand 
point the finger of scorn at them. They are unmindful 
where they exhibit their profligacy. Modesty is for 
them no more. Chastity is banished from their hearts. 
The gentle affections of the heart are impoverished, the 
intellect is robbed of its light, and shame is stamped 
upon a contenance once beautiful in aspect and inno- 
cent in expression. In the abodes of impurity, innocence 
and health, fortunes and accomplishments are squan- 
dered, though a father's heart is breaking and a mother 
is bent in grief. There is no regard for friends or 
family affection. Pleasure — carnal pleasure is the one 
controlling, overmastering motive ! For that they barter 



SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 113 

themselves, trample upon everything sacred, disregard 
the tears and entreaties of parents, spurn the voice 
of the Church, and defy high heaven ! In their head- 
lang course, they care not whether they die in the slums 
of debauchery or in the hospitals for incurables, or be 
damned forever to the regions of the vile and the 
impure. Yet, notwithstanding the prevalence and 
force of the thirst for pleasure, we behold persons 
turning aside from the blandishment of life, from the 
gaiety of society, from the allurement of companions 
and making the vow of perpetual chastity. Can you 
explain this strange occurrence ? Can you account 
for the fulfillment of that vow so contrary to human 
passion ? Will the skeptic or infidel produce some 
philosophical or scientific maxim to controvert this 
prodigy of human sacrifice ? We challenge them to 
bring forth their contradictory arguments ; but they 
will not — they cannot ; the facts are in evidence 
against them. The only explanation, the only hy- 
pothesis which can be assumed, is that Jesus is God ; 
and that His influence over the human heart at this 
distant day, is as powerful now as His majesty was 
overawing to the Apostles Peter, James, and John. 

We next approach the third motive of human activity 
— the thirst for power. This desire has caused ruin on 
earth and war in heaven. The craving for power drove 
Lucifer from the glories of celestial bliss into the pit 
of hell. The love of power expelled our first parents 
from the Garden of Eden. To become like unto God, 
telling good from evil, was the ambition which plundered 
their innocence, made exiles of them, and subjected 
their progeny to misery and death. The wish to be 
greater than his brother, to be more influential with 
God, induced Cain to stain his soul with the gentle 



114 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 

blood of his brother. Alexander the Great lamented 
because his father, Philip of Macedon, was so success- 
ful. He will conquer all, thought Alexander, and 
there will be no victories left for me. Caesar, too, 
longed for power and greatness, though they accom- 
plished his ruin. So with all the celebrated conquerors 
and many renowned statesmen. You know the 
ambition of Napoleon Bonaparte. His thirst for pre- 
eminence plundered other nations while it exhausted 
his own. He dictated treaties, spurned the laws of 
nations drenched the nations in blood, and in his mad 
desire for conquest, dragged the venerable Pope Pius 
Vn. from Rome and made him a prisoner. It is not 
needful, however, to recall these prodigious examples 
in order to prove the limitless extent of the thirst for 
power. 

You are witnesses of its presence. In our day the 
thirst for power has become epidemic. The public 
mind is restless, and surges in its eagerness for potency 
and popularity. In one hand are held corrupt prin- 
ciples ; in the other, the fairest promises of honesty 
integrity, and justice. The latter, however, are often 
only masks disguising dishonesty, faithlessness, and 
injustice. Ambition for power regards not the undying 
principles of honor ; despises truth, if truth does not 
serve better than falsehood ; courts fraud, deception, 
and treachery, when these assist to the temple of worldly 
greatness. The burning thirst for fame, distinction, and 
control converts the honorable into rascals, the honest 
into rogues, the truthful into liars. There is no compact 
so sacred, which will not be violated ; no virtue is so 
exalted, which will not be humbled or silenced ; no tie 
of friendship so dear, which will not be broken in the 
reckless desire for power ! Cunningness is called 



SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 115 

wisdom ; bribery, generosity ; violated pledges, clever- 
ness ! The victim of this passion resolves to conquer or 
to perish. He toils day after day in feverish applica- 
tion. Health is nothing, family happiness is nothing. 
There is not anything which can stay his determined, 
all-consuming purpose. He exclaims : " I will have 
power, though the effort costs me health, though I 
trample upon friends, though I favor the base, the low, 
and intriguing, — I will have power ! Religion will be no 
barrier ! The teachings of the Church shall be no 
restraint ! The welfare of my immortal soul shall be no 
hindrance ! The glory of my country shall not deter 
me ! O Power ! everything I will offer at your shrine, 
if you only crown me one of your elect ! " 

Still, notwithstanding that this strife is found in 
every sphere of human endeavor, notwithstanding its 
universality, you are aware that many take the vow of 
entire obedience. They lay down their will at the feet 
of their superior. In the future, his or her will is to be 
theirs ; at his or her command, they obey in all things 
not involving sin. They may be prodigies in the 
sciences and the arts — in every branch of human attain- 
ment they may excel — still they humbly submit to 
the will of another, although this other may be inferior 
in everything which goes to make up great natural gifts 
and vast acquirements. He or she may be of only 
ordinary ability ; they may be remarkable for their 
extensive research and matchless genius, — yet they 
bow down before his commands and acknowledge his 
guidance. 

Again we inquire, is there any facts within the grasp 
of human knowledge to account for this inexplicable 
surrender of man's will ? Is there any theory within the 
entire domain of science to offer a solution for this 



116 SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT. 

problem ? Science is baffled, the sage is confounded ; 
passion itself is frustrated at the sight of this marvellous 
renouncement of the human will ! In this perplexity, in 
this search for a solution, we turn once more to the 
Transfiguration, and recall again the words : " This is 
my beloved So?i i7i whom I am well pleased ; hear ye 
Him!\ It is devotion to Jesus which has drawn them 
from the avenues of ordinary life and common passion. 
They have bid adieu to society, to the allurements of 
fame and the attractions of popularity, for the thorn- 
crowned Son of Man. In the divinity of Christ is found 
the reason of these phenomena ; and to me they are 
more persuasive than the Transfiguration : for they are 
more prolonged in their duration ; are visible to an 
infinitely greater number of witnesses, and are beheld in 
wonderment in this our own time. 

These are arguments that are incontestable. There 
is no other explanation for the taking of the three 
vows of voluntary poverty, perpetual chastity, and 
entire obedience. But while we as Catholics profess 
the divinity of Jesus ; while we expect no proofs — nor 
do we want them — still, why do we not conform our 
lives more and more to the doctrines of Jesus ? To 
believe will not save us ; nor will it do to be good 
Catholics for an hour on Sunday and during the remain- 
der of the week break God's laws. It will not do to 
praise God with our lips, while our hearts are far from 
Him. Let us, therefore, during this holy season of 
Lent, mortify ourselves, that we also may be masters of 
our passions. Let us entreat the Blessed Virgin, the 
Mother of Jesus, that she may supplicate her Son to 
assist us in our efforts toward perfection. 



THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 



But some of them said : He casteth out devils^ by Beelzebub 
the prince of the devils. (St. Luke xi. — 15.) 

My Dear Friends : The malice of slander is fiercely 

depicted by this remark of the Jews. They were 

envious of the marvellous power of our Divine Saviour, 

and sought to disparage it by attributing it to the 

influence of the prince of hell. The people admired, but 

these attempted to poison the admiration. The Jews 

were armed with audacity ; yet their weapon was 

insufficient either to dismay Our Lord or to ward off 

the incontestable reply: '' Aiid if Satan also be divided 

agai?ist himself how shall his kiiigdom stand? " In other 

words. He said to them : Is it not incredulous that 

Satan should war against himself ? But if he assist Me 

in expelling devils, he wars against himself ; hence 

devils attack devils, which is absurd. The infernal 

legions are united in their war against man ; and for 

Satan to expel one of them from a human being, for 

the purpose of proving the strength of his adversary^ 

Jesus Christ, is ridiculous. The Jews, no doubt, felt 

the poignancy of the rebuke administered by Our Lord. 

Indeed, had they not been so malicious, they would 

have probably foreseen the folly of making so unguarded 

an assault. Thus it ever is with slanderers, detractors, 

and calumniators. They destroy themselves usually by 

117 



118 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 

the venom of their own bite. They intend injury, still 
they injure none more than themselves. They render 
themselves despicable even to those who flatter them. 
They are a pest in every congregation ; they are the 
enemies of charity and justice ; they are the cause 
of many a bitter contention. Many a reputation is 
blighted by the foulness of their aspersions. The inno- 
cent are made guilty ; the unfortunate are assailed 
without mercy ; and no one is so secured as to escape 
the shafts of their rancor. In return, what is the 
reward of the slanderer ? He is the prey of his own 
envious, ungenerous heart ; despised and shunned, and 
ofttimes hated. 

To curb slander or bridal the slanderer, is a difficult 
task ; for slander is so prevalent, that one knows not 
where to begin ; and the slanderer, of course, holds 
himself or herself entirely innocent, or exceedingly 
abused. While their conversion to principles of human 
decency is in no way easy, still the greater difficulty is 
met in having them make reparation. Since they sin 
against charity, and often entertain no regard for the 
justice due their neighbor, they not only sin, but are 
obliged to make restitution. Since they are always 
well informed upon the scandalous topics of the town 
and surrounding country, they are sought out by the 
inquisitive, or they gad from house to house, unloading 
themselves of the latest item of malicious news. The 
slanderer is very courteous, but this dissembling 
courtesy corrupts while it tickles the inquisitive. " Did 
you hear so and so about Mrs. A. ? " Mrs. B. will inquire. 
** Not a word." — "Why, it is very strange you did not 
learn anything about her. The story is all around 
town. It is really shocking. Even the school children 
are talking about her. It is on the tip of everyone's 



THIED SUNDAY IN LENT. 119 

tongue. I do not know where she will stop." — " Well, tell 
us all about it," says Mrs. C. ; " we haven't heard a 
single word." The scandal-monger apparently hesitates. 
She declares with solemn precaution, that she does not 
want to say a word about anybody ; but Mrs. A. " ought 
to be ashamed of herself." Her listeners urge her to go 
on with the story — just what Mrs. B. wants. Then she 
begins by saying : " I shall just tell you as I heard it. I 
don't know whether it is true or not. Indeed, I hope it 
isn't." She then relates the whole episode, with all the 
increments and additions which a slanderous tongue 
can so deftly weave around an incident. It is only a 
rumor, the scandal-monger says ; yet there is no doubt 
in regard to the injury done to Mrs. A's reputation. 
Positive harm is done, and restitution must be made. 
*' But I told it just as I heard it." No matter ; you are 
bound to make reparation. Why should you publish 
something injurious to another ? What right have you 
to asperse the character of anybody ? You do not know 
it is true ; why, then, use it as an instrument of damage 
against your neighbor ? If the persons to whom you 
speak are ignorant of the story, you lessen their opinion 
of another's worth ; and they, in turn, spread the per- 
nicious report. Because you have thus injured some- 
body, you must repair the wrong inflicted, you must make 
satisfaction to the one slandered. This is simply justice 
to your neighbor. But should you know that of which 
you speak to be true, still it is only known to you or 
to a few, charity requires that you remain silent ; and 
if you offend in this, you violate the precept of charity, 
and thereby sin mortally or venially, according to the 
nature of the case. If the scandal is public and true, 
the author or cause thereof forfeits his reputation, and 
is entitled to no further indulgence. 



120 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 

You will hear persons who declare they are honest, 
that they would not steal — pilfer the reputation of even 
the innocent. They underrate that priceless gem, a 
good name. To destroy this, in their estimation, is no 
harm. These vipers of society will devastate all that 
an honest man or woman holds most precious, and in 
the meantime, pose as very sanctimonious people. '* He 
who steals my purse," says the Bard of Avon, ** steals 
trash ; but he who robs me of my good name, takes 
all I have, and leaves me poor indeed." Such a thief 
takes the reputation of another, robs him of his peace 
of mind, sinks him in the scale of public opinion, paves 
the way to lawsuits, and sharpens the dagger of revenge. 
For what purpose ? So that the slanderer may satisfy 
some petty grudge, or for the exquisite pleasure of 
hearing her own tongue wag. There is, however, malice 
usually in the defamation. An old offense, real or 
imaginary, generally the latter, must be appeased ; and 
the slanderer strikes the blow in the most vital parts. 

This is deplorable conduct ; still there is another 
phase to our subject — indeed, there are many phases. 
You will see persons in quest of news prejudicial to 
another, without any motive, unless it be to show how 
smart they are. Having learned something new, they 
cannot rest quietly or allow others to rest, but run from 
place to place, telling of their latest discovery. Their 
slander assumes the provoking attitude of derision* 
They laugh at others who are better than themselves ; 
deride those who are their superiors. They belittle 
none so much as themselves. Alexander Pope says 
pointedly : " The fool has still an itching to deride, and 
fain would be on the laughing side." This class quiz 
for information only to make fun of their dupe or 
abuse others. They imagine none so cute as themselves. 



THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 121 

No one can make sport of them, yet they are the very 
ones of whom sport can be made ; and if they would 
only reflect upon their own history, and study their 
own defects, they might remodel their behavior before 
ridiculing others who mind their own business. This 
class is made up largely of fools, who are busy in caring 
for the concerns of others, while they are neglecting their 
own duties and injuring themselves in the estimation 
of all sensible people. Should they meet, nevertheless, 
the object of their slander, they are so very social, so 
friendly, and so sweet, that you would never suspect 
them of such malice, or as having a gatling gun for a 
tongue. They would not dare intimate to a person's 
face what they said so flippantly behind his or her back. 
Ecclesiastes (x. — ii.) is very applicable here : " If the 
serpe?it bite in sile?ice, he is iiotiiing better that backbiteth 
secretly r In fact the slanderer is held in contempt by 
those very ones who appear so delighted with the news ; 
for they know that the slanderer's bite is more deadly 
than the serpent's. The one may kill the body ; the 
other destroys a good name, undermines the health of 
his victim, and leaves him hopelessly prostrated. 

" Bear o?ie another's burde?is, and so shall you fidfil the 
law of Christy says St. Paul to the Galatians. To 
comply with this exhortation, is truly a kind and 
generous work ; but what about those who, instead of 
assisting, will increase the burden until the heart, already 
overladened with sorrow and perhaps misfortune, 
breaks from grief. Do slanderers know no pity ? 
Has the slanderer no thought of religion ? If every 
man is to be judged according to his works, what an 
awful reckoning is in store for the base person who 
trifles with another's reputation. How will he or she 
account for all the precious time wasted in doing evil ? 



122 THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT. 

It is wonderful that such a person cannot find some- 
thing profitable to occupy himself or herself. Were 
you to step into her home, you would see the sad 
condition of things. You would notice that her hands 
are not as active as her tongue. See her children 
without care and without training ; see her husband, — 
he surely has his purgatory on earth. In a word, this 
woman whose tongue is ever loaded to shoot down the 
fair name of a neighbor, does not know enough to take 
care of her own domestic affairs. She is usually a 
model of filth — a filthy tongue, a filthy person, and a 
filthy home. We would say to the slandered one : "Put 
your trust in God. Mind not the virulence of your 
defamer. The bitterness and venom of slanderous 
speech destroy its effects. People can discern. They 
soon understand persons of a vile character. Pray to 
God for patience. Ask Him to advise you. Live 
down, by the purity of your lives, these infamous 
assaults. If you are innocent, all the better. You 
then can afford to be composed. God watches over 
us all. He will protect you, and in time turn your 
affliction into joy." 

We should learn a lesson from the venemous slander 
and calumny of the Jews. They attacked the goodness 
of our Divine Lord ; endeavored to misconstrue His 
power, and change the admiring multitude into revilers. 
They failed ; so shall the slanderer ever. If any of you 
have been guilty of this grave sin of slander, resolve 
never to indulge in it again. Ask God's pardon, and do 
all in your power to restore the good names which you 
have tarnished. Then in the time of your trials, others 
will speak well of you. Their words of encouragement 
will be your solace ; and Jesus, who was so often 
wronged, will come to you and enable you to carry your 
cross with patience and with fortitude. 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 



So they gathered the?fi up, and filled twelve baskets with the 
fragme?its of the five barley loaves^ which remained over and 
above to them that had eaten. (St. Johnvi. — 13.) 

My Dear Friends : This stupendous manifestation of 
our Saviour's power is a proof of His tenderness and 
love for the human race. It tells us also that God never 
abandons those who follow Him. Although they may 
encounter trouble ; although the heart may often be weary, 
— still the followers of Christ will be blessed with a solace 
in every affliction. In the instance already cited, five 
thousand followed our Divine Lord. They are attracted 
by the sublimity of His discourses. His simplicity, His 
kindness, the affability of His manner, draw them 
toward the centre of their existence, just as the small 
spheres are attracted by the sun. He knows they must 
be hungry — hungry physically as well as spiritually. 
He inquires whether there is any means to feed them. 
There is not. Only five loaves and two fishes are among 
the vast multitude. But what are these to so many ! 
Jesus blesses these, however; the people eat thereof ; 
they are filled ; and twelve baskets full of fragments are 
gathered up. An incomprehensible display of Omnipo- 
tence, fraught with many useful lessons. 

Among the many thoughts suggested by this miracle, 
we are naturally led to consider the mystic multiplica- 
tion of Our Lord and Saviour in the most august sacrifice 

123 



124 FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 

of the Mass ; — a miracle compared with which the mul- 
tiplication of the loaves and fishes looses its marvellous- 
ness. In the one, Our Lord gives bread to nourish the 
body ; in the other, He gives Himself to nourish both 
body and soul. In the former, He shows His tender- 
ness for mankind by feeding them from the products of 
His power ; in the latter, His mercy, affection, and love 
are proven by the extent of His humiliation. By the 
word of His priest, He leaves heaven and descends upon 
our altars. What incomparable obedience and humil- 
iation ! Who can conceive the limitlessness of this love ! 
Who can explain the mercy thus accorded to us poor, 
miserable sinners by a bountiful Saviour ! In the depths 
of our hearts, in the silence of our meditations, we may 
get some glimpses of the wonderful beneficence con- 
tained in the institution of the Holy Eucharist. 

Now, we may ask ourselves with what pious deport- 
ment we should assist at the sacrifice of the Mass — a 
sacrifice which reproduces the sacrifice of Calvary in an 
unbloody manner. What should be the preparation ? 
What ought to be the intention ? With what holy and 
engrossing fervor should we not be permeated in order 
that we may show our gratitude for such an inestim- 
able blessing, and draw benefits therefrom ? It appears 
to me that all this can be obtained by dwelling upon 
the psalm recited by the priest at the foot of the altar. 
He begins, after making the sign of the cross, by saying : 
" Introibo ad altar e Dei, ad Deum qui Icetificat injuventutem 
me am!' — / shall entei- to the Altar of my God, to God Who 
rejoices i?t my youth!' I shall enter to the altar of 
my God, could be said with profit by everyone after 
he has sprinkled himself, at the church doors, with holy 
water. I shall enter to the altar of my God. I shall not 
linger on the outside, gazing at the people as they come 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 125 

to church. I shall not obstruct the way. I shall not 
make comments about the passers-by. I shall set a 
good example by approaching the altar of my God — 
by entering the church and preparing for Mass. Every 
care shall be left behind, every distraction, every am- 
bition. Thoughts of wealth, of power, of distinction, 
shall be banished. Here will I prepare for the 
unspeakable sacrifice about to take place. Here will I 
devoutly pray in the temple of my God. Here will I 
pour forth my troubles, express my wants, return 
thanks, and implore protection and mercy in the presence 
of my God — in the presence of my God Who rejoices in 
my youth ! Who rejoices in the youthfulness of every- 
one's innocence ! Who rejoices in the aged who have 
never grown old in sin ! Who rejoices in the pure of 
heart and the noble of intellect, that have never prosti- 
tuted their virtues and talents to selfish, abject ends ! 

'' Judica me, Dens ! " — Judge me, God ! Judge me ; 
for you know me for what I am. You know every 
pulsation of my heart, every act of my intellect. You 
are acquainted with every temptation, with every 
struggle ; — how much I have willing offended, how 
much I struggled to avoid. Others may blame me 
unnecessarily. Others do not know what has been 
shunned, fought against, and suffered. Selfish motives 
may influence them. Envy, ignorance, or malice, 
may warp their judgment ; but Thou, O God ! art 
just, and though I have transgressed Thy law, pardon 
a forlorn creature who craves for mercy ! " Et discerne 
causam me am de gente non sancta!' — And discern — distin- 
guish my cause from the unholy. In their malice, they 
have offended Thee ; they boast of their iniquities. 
They have insulted Thee, rebelled against Thee, denied 
Thee. It is truth that I, too, have been a disobedient 



126 FOUKTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 

child, — that I have violated Thy law ; but I desired to do 
right, though I did do wrong ; and no sooner was Thy 
Sacred Majesty offended, than I was overwhelmed 
with shame and sorrow. I did wrong, but wished I 
had not done so. Discern my cause, I pray Thee, 
from the unrighteous who rebelled against Thee and 
flaunted their rebellion. ** Et ab homine iniquo et doloso, 
erue me.'' — A?id from the miquitous and deceitful^ deliver 
me, my God ! Preserve me from bad company! 
Protect me from those who would corrupt my under- 
standing, rob me of virtue, degrade me, and condemn 
my soul to everlasting torments ! Assist me, that I 
may always walk with the light of Thy divine truth. 
In all the trials of life, may I ever confide in Thee, my 
God, my hope, my refuge ! 

^^ Quia tu es Deus^ fortitudo me a; quare me repidisti ?'* 
— Because Thou art, God! my fortitude ; wherefore 
hast Thou repelled jne ? Why dost Thou cast me off ? 
True, I have rebelled against Thee, I have abused Thy 
holy law, and disregarded Thy graces ; yet Thou art 
my God, my Father, my all ! Thou art my strength, 
and one of Thy great prerogatives is mercy. Then be 
merciful to me, a sinner ! Judge me not according to 
Thy justice, but according to Thy mercy. Pardon 
Thou me, a suppliant craving to be restored to Thy 
friendship. Therefore, do not repel me, but forgive 
Thy erring child. '' Et quare tristis incedo f — A7id 
why do I go sorrowful — " dum affligit me inimicus^' — whilst 
the enemy afflict me ? Why am I troubled or afraid, 
so long as Thou art my fortitude ? Thou art the God 
of the universe. In Thy hand rests the destiny of 
nations and individuals. Thou willst protect all 
confiding in Thy strength. My enemies may seek to 
injure me ; but Thou canst baffle their devices and 
turn their evil efforts into triumphs for me. 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 127 

''Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem ^uam / " — Send forth 
Thy light and Thy truth ! Illumine my dark intellect 
with the rays of Thy divine light ! Put Thy truth in 
my heart and upon my lips ! With these will I walk 
courageously and honorably, although my enemies may 
plot against me. Being possessed of these priceless 
gifts, I can avoid what is wrong, while I journey on the 
path which leads to Thee. " Ipsa tne deduxerunt et 
adduxerunt i7iniontem sanctufntiium.'' — These vefy things 
have co7iducted me a?td brought me into Thy holy 
mountai?i. These have induced me to come this 
morning to hear Mass. These have led me into Thy 
holy temple, — into the presence of Thy divine Son ! 
From bad company, these have spared me. From the 
temporal affairs of life, they have conducted me, that in 
this holy place I may pour forth my soul to Thee in 
prayer. '' Et in taber?iacida tua." — A?td into Thy taber- 
nacles. And they have brought me into Thy taber- 
nacles — into the very abode of my Saviour ! How 
could I loiter on the outside, around the doors, passing 
remarks upon the worshippers coming to Thee to pray ? 
Why should I, standing near the threshold of Thy 
temple, use language vile enough for infamous places ? 
And afterward, is it possible that Thou could listen to 
prayers pronounced by lips which insulted Thy Divine 
Majesty only a few moments before ? No ; Thy light 
and Thy truth have graciously conducted me into Thy 
temple and into the presence of Thy tabernacles. 
Here I will return thanks to Thy infinite goodness ! 
Here in the audience hall of my Lord, Thy Eternal Son, 
will I give expression to the boundless gratitude due 
Thee for all Thy mercies and blessings ! From out of 
the depths of my poor heart, I thank Thee for every 
favor of the past ; and with deepest humility and 



128 FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 

unwavering confidence, implore Thy gracious protec- 
tion and assistance for the future ! May Thy light 
ever be a lamp to my tottering feet, and Thy truth the 
compass and the star on my way to eternity ! 

" Confitebor tibi in cithara Deus, Deus metis. " — / shall 
con/ess Thee, God, my God, upon the harp. I will 
praise Thee upon the harp of my heart. Every chord 
thereof shall vibrate in acknowledgment of all Thy 
beneficence and tender mercies. Every throb I offer 
to Thee. The universe is a glorious manifestation of 
Thy power, resources, and goodness. Health, talent, 
genius, are gifts of your exhaustless bounty. " Quare 
tristis estanimamea f — Wherefore art Thou sorrowpd, 
my soul ? " Et quare conturbas me ? " — And zvherefore dost 
Thou disturb m,e ? Why art thou cast down ? Why 
afflicted ? Though toiling with the troubles of life 
and the sadness caused thereby, why art thou 
sorrowful since thy God still liveth and will help 
thee in due time ? Why dost thou disturb me ? 
Why not be reconciled with thy trials ? Here, at 
least, in the presence of thy Saviour and thy solace, be 
calm ; consider His sufferings and His love for man ; 
offer thy disquietude to Him, and implore His aid. 

" Sperain Deo.'' — Hope in God. Place your confidence 
in Him. Offer Him all the disappointments and 
successes of the past, the anxieties of the present, 
and pray Him to banish all doubts and fears of the 
future. " Quoniam adhuc confitebor illi!' — For I ivill give 
praise to Him. Notwithstanding that thou, my soul, 
art bowed down by sorrow and by recollections of the 
past, still will I praise the Author of so many favors, 
the Father and Guardian of my life. " Salutare vultus 
mei et Deus mens!' — The salvation of my cou7itenance 
and my God. The salvation of my countenance — the 



FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT. 129 

One Who hast given virtue to my soul, Who hast kept 
me from the wanderings of sin, Who hast given 
innocence to my soul, that with an erect head and an 
honest countenance I may defy my enemies. My God, 
in Whom I trust, from Whom I have received every 
good possessed by me, in Whom all my hope is centered, 
may Thou ever be the salvation of my countenance, 
and may Thou adorn it with honesty, simplicity, and 
courage ! 

In this manner, or a similar one, should we prepare 
ourselves for the loving, benign sacrifice of the Mass. 
Upon these things ought we to reflect during this 
solemn time. You ought to return thanks to God ; 
beseech Him to be merciful to you ; present to Him 
every fear and every doubt, every sorrow and every 
trial. Entreat Him to guard you with the shield of 
grace. Thus you will be free from detractions. Your 
prayers will rise like heavenly incense to the tabernacle 
and to the august Being who resides therein. He will 
bless you, and you will leave His sanctuary, strengthened 
in resolution, reanimated by grace, and enabled to fight 
successfully the battles of life. 



PASSION SUNDAY. 



Ainen^ amen^ I say unto you : if any man keep My word^ he 
shall not see death forever. (St. John viii. — 51.) 

Very appropriately does the Church, my dear friends, 
introduce Passion Sunday with this marvellous Gospel. 
She beseeches us to dwell piously at all times upon the 
passion and death of our Divine Lord ; but during the 
next two weeks, she implores us in a special man- 
ner to meditate upon the stupendous sacrifices made 
for us by the Redeemer. She exhorts us to go in spirit 
to those holy places consecrated by the precious blood 
of Jesus, the Saviouroftheworld ; to recall with devotion 
and gratitude all that God has accomplished in order 
that we may never know spiritual death ; and thus to 
embellish our souls with heavenly graces, that we may 
with great joy welcome the glorious feast of Christ's 
Resurrection. In order the better to impress upon our 
minds the vast importance of such preparation, she 
cites for us the words of our Divine Lord : ''Ame?t, amen, 
I say unto you: if any man keep My word, he shall not see death 
forever.'' It is unnecessar}^ to say to you that the 
death here meant is of the soul, not of the body. The 
Jews seemed to misunderstand Him, or in their malice, 
desired to turn the people from Him. Indeed, they 
could not well plead ignorance of His meaning. They 
surely knew that He did not refer to the dissolution of 

130 



PASSION SUNDAY. 131 

the body, hut to the depravity of the soul. Their pur- 
pose was unmistakably to embitter the people against 
Him, and this they attempted by ridicule and calumny. 
It is useless to mention that spiritual death is incom- 
parably more deplorable than the separation of the 
soul from the body, which we commonly call death. 
Physical death is the lot of man ; spiritual death is not; 
for God wishes all men to be saved. At the coffin's 
side, the mother's grief breaks forth in tears ; suppressed 
sobs are the messengers of sorrow from a father's 
tortured heart. The child weeps over the grave of the 
parent, and the parent laments the loss of the child ; 
but what is this affliction compared to the shame, dis- 
grace, and remorse of a spiritual death. The grave has 
its terrors ; still, what are they, in comparison to the 
prostrating heart-ache and the agony of soul occasioned 
by sin. How often has a mother wished her child 
dead, that he or she may be taken from bad company ? 
How many sleepless nights has she spent in that worry 
which devours the vital parts, while it almost drives to 
madness! The father is aged. The one in whom his 
affections were centered and his gray hairs found hope, 
is now the deadly spring whence comes unalloyed sorrow 
and insupportable shame. What is the grief of the grave 
when you see the dejected countenance, the haggard, 
troubled looks of a father and mother brooding over 
the spiritual destruction of their child. Those of you 
who have witnessed such a sight, know that the carnage 
of the battle-field, — death amidst the merciless flames, 
or upon the freezing billows of the ocean — are nothing 
when estimated with the frenzied grief of an affectionate 
mother and devoted father, at the dishonored life of a 
cherished offspring. By these parents, pangs a thousand 
times more terrible than temporal death, are suffered. 



132 PASSION SUNDAY. 

But what of the sinner— the one spiritually dead ? The 
brow which now hangs in disgrace, fair honor adorned. 
Tlie face now disfigured by debauchery, once innocence 
and modesty mantled. The heart that once beat high 
with hope, is now corroded by remorse. He is dead, 
dead morally and religiously ; nay, we may add, 
socially, civilly, and to a great extent, physically dead ! 
He is no longer himself. The vigor of health has left 
his body. The lustre has left his eye — manliness is lost 
forever. He was once respected ; now he is spurned. 
Honor, decency, affection, have been swallowed up 
in lust and drunkenness. Should it be a daughter, the 
same is true, with this difference, that the fall seems 
greater and more deplorable. Dead morally, religious- 
ly dead ; dead, too, to usefulness, dead to every noble or 
inspiring effort, as if the grave contained such corpse ! 
Were he dead and buried, it would not be so bad ; for 
now he remains degraded and degrading others — a curse 
to society. Such are banished from the converse of 
the honest and the pure ; exiled from the friendship 
and esteem, from the social and civil distinction to 
which they might have risen. They are socially and 
civilly dead. No lofty emotion fills the breast or 
impels the intellect to great undertakings. Instead, a 
work-house or a state's prison confines the limbs and 
bars the talents which were destined by the Creator for 
noble purposes. All is lost ! Kind hearts go down to 
the grave m sorrow ! Health ruined, intellectual 
ability misapplied, others wronged, graces abused, and 
himself or herself degraded and cursed ! All is lost ; 
and why ? Because such heeded not the exhortation of 
our Divine Lord in this day's Gospel. They kept not 
His word in their hearts, and consequently they 
experienced the unrelenting blow of death — the 
withering infection of sin. 



PASSION SUNDAY. 138 

Ah, but had he kept the word of God, had he never 
violated the law of God in a grievous way, he would not 
know^the miserable death which he now endures ! The 
impress of honor w^ould be on his brow, and the smile 
of heaven in his countenance. He would be a useful 
member of society, a dutiful child of the Church, and a 
true servant of God. Ill fortune might attack him, still 
his hope would be moored to the throne of heaven, and 
God would be his solace and defense. How noble his 
life! What ablessing to his kindred ! What an example 
to others, had he retained the word of God in his heart ! 
Oh, what a contrast between what he is and what he 
should be ! He knows no rest. He reviews the course of 
his life, only to suffer the pangs of remorse. And then 
to think he has abandoned his Eternal Father. " Whe7i 
you pra}\" says Jesus, " say, Our Father, who art in heaven!' 
Our Father ! What a sublime thought ! No tyrant, 
no enemy, but the affectionate relationship of father 
and child. But misery of misery ! to go away, yea, 
break away from such a Father. How wretched must 
that one be who severs the bond of grace which binds 
him to the Eternal Father, the source of all perfection, 
and unites himself with all that is pernicious and 
destructive. So much lost and nothing gained, except 
the companionship of the wicked and its debasing con- 
sequences. The angels of heaven must weep over 
such misfortune, to see so many opportunities despised, 
to behold so many graces abused, to be cognizant of so 
many pleadings spurned. 

Is not this prodigal child to be pitied ? Pity and 
blame ought to be blended in the reprimand. He 
would not listen to advice, he discarded the admonitions 
of the Church and the counsels of his dearest friends. 
All this is true ; but who knows how much he was 



134 PASSION SUNDAY. 

tempted, or how great was the struggle before he fell ? 
It is for you and me to learn from the sad sights around 
us. What has happened others, may happen us. 
With prayer deep and earnest, we should implore, night 
and morning, the protection of heaven. Often, during 
the day, we should invoke the aid of Almighty God, 
that in the time of conflict He may stretch forth His 
almighty arm in our defense, and bid our enemies desist. 

Thus far we have considered the temporal loss; but 
what shall we say about the spiritual death ? His life 
on earth has been a failure; — ah ! shall we say a curse ? 
Yet, what of his life beyond the threshold of earthly 
existence ? God gave him grace. In the eternal 
design, he was destined for happiness ; but, alas ! unless 
he remodel his life, unless he bend from the current 
bearing him to destruction, he will be more miserable 
in eternity than he is on earth. Beyond the grave there 
is no chance to repent. The cry for pardon is unheeded ; 
God's justice rules and determines our future condition. 
Merits and demerits are placed in the balance. We are 
honestly but rigorously dealt with. If we fail, the loss 
is ours, and also the blame. Misery endless in its 
duration, ought to be avoided. It is in our power to 
do so. If we comply with God's grace, if we keep 
His word in our hearts, all will be well with us. 

Is it not folly to do otherwise ? Ought not it be our 
ambition, the highest and most determined, to retain 
that precious gift which makes us great on earth and 
greater in eternity? With what zeal we all should 
cherish the eternal word of God. The most abundant 
wealth, the highest distinction, the most enviable 
renown, are nothing to God' sword. But the preservation 
of God's word upon the tablets of your soul, is an 
incentive and an aid to all the achievements and accom- 



PASSION SUNDAY. 1B5 

plishments which ennoble man's life, make him respected 
by his fellow-men and loved by his kindred. Since 
the word of God has such influence upon your earthly 
career, who can estimate the reward beyond the grave ? 
Who can depict the glories awaiting the faithful beyond 
the brink of time ? To do so is beyond the ken of 
the human intellect. Yet you can find much proof 
in the promise of your Saviour : " If any ma?t keep My 
word, he shall not see death forever!' 

Let us labor strenuously to keep His word. In all 
the adverse fortune of life, let us ever look to heaven 
for help. Approaching as we are the sacred memories 
of Christ's death, we should renew in our souls the 
recollections of His sufferings and love. With fervor, 
we should pray ; with compassion, we should meditate 
upon the stations of the cross ; with love, we should 
receive the sacraments, that Jesus may say to us at 
the moment of death : " Yott have kept My word, and I 
shall keep My promise with you : you shall not see death for- 
ever!' 



PALM SUNDAY. 



A7zd the multitude that went before a7id that folloived cried ^ 
saying: Hosanna to the Son of David ; Blessed is He that 
conieth in the Name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. 
(Matt, xxi.— 9.) 

On that memorable Palm Sunday morning, a record 

of which has just been read for you, the people of 

Jerusalem were beside themselves with rejoicement. 

What was the cause thereof ? Why are the people 

gathering in throngs ? Why so much enthusiasm ? 

The thoroughfares are filled by people in their holiday 

attire, and one vies with another in the manifestation 

of their joyful praise. A stranger on that Palm Sunday 

morning might have inquired for the cause of such great 

demonstration ; but for you, no explanation is necessary. 

You know that Jesus, the Son of God, was approaching 

the city by the way of the Valley of Josephat. He 

came not as a victor from the fields of carnage ; and 

though He was Infinite Wisdom, He was not praised 

on that day for sagacity won in the council chambers of 

the world. He was a conqueror, but his victory was 

over the human heart. He was celebrated, but His 

greatness was earned by the stupendous works wrought 

by His power. The memory of His miracles was still 

fresh in the mind of the populace, and they consequently 

praised Him for His goodness, while they called Him 

a great prophet. He was received by the people, not for 



PALM SUNDAY. 137 

the magnificent display of His caparison or the gor- 
geous decorations of Himself and retinue, but for His 
amiable tenderness and unexcelled meekness. 

A mystic power, a divine influence, pervaded the 
heart of the Jewish populace. Crowds went to meet 
Him, to give Him welcome as He rode in triumph to 
the city. " The multitude that went before a?id that 
follotved Him, cried, saying : ' Hosanna to the Son of David : 
Blessed is He that cojneth in the name of the Lord I Hosanna 
in the highest f ' " They tore palm and olive branches from 
the trees, and scattered them before Him on the way. 
They even spread their garments before Him, as a token 
of the profoundest respect. They went into ecstasy. 
Everywhere were expressions of praise and manifesta- 
tions of rejoicement. Thousands of throats sang out 
with friendly vehemence, hosannas of esteem and love. 
It was a glorious day ; but how soon the scene was 
changed ! To-day we hear the songs of praise and the 
joyful cry of welcome ; on Good Friday our hearts are 
shocked by the infuriated mob, in the same city, crying 
out, Crucify Him ! crucify Him ! To-day He passes the 
mount of olives in triumph ; on Holy Thursday night He 
is dragged from His place of prayer by a fierce rabble and 
hurried brutally to prison. To-day His path is strewn by 
the garments of a happy people ; on Good Friday they 
nail Him to the cross. Oh, what awful instability ! 
What a monstrous contrast ! What infamous contra- 
diction ! 

You search for the cause, and it is largely found in 
the jealousy and fickleness of the human heart. It is 
thus with man. To-day he admires ; to-morrow he 
dispraises the object of his admiration. To-day he 
esteems, and to-morrow he hates what he previously 
loved. To-dav he makes idols, and to-morrow he breaks 



188 PALM SUNDAY. 

them. History is replete with examples of this kind. 
The record of ancient and modern times relate sad 
stories of the fickleness of man. Let me tell you of a 
few, for the purpose of illustrating the subject of to-day's 
reflections. Demosthenes of old, the father and the 
master of eloquence, the tutor of the student of oratory 
in every age, was banished from Athens, his home. The 
irresistible torrents of his eloquence rush forth 
against the encroachments of Philip of Macedon and 
Alexander, Philip's son. From his oratory pealed 
forth the notes of warning. He toiled to arouse the 
people to a feeling of their danger ; but his efforts were 
misconstrued, and he, the glory of ancient and modern 
ages, was driven from the city. Followed by his enemies 
preconcerting deadly designs upon his person, he 
concealed poison in the stylus, the instrument with 
which he gave to posterity grand models for imitation. 
Having been captured, he partook of the poison, and fell 
dead in the arms of his captors. Socrates, for his labors 
in building up the morality and intellectual ability 
of Grecian youth, at the instigation of a poet, was 
adjudged guilty of corruption ; and though innocent, 
was condemned to take the fatal hemlock juice, from 
which he perished. Aristides, a man who deserved 
every mark of honorable distinction, was ostracized by 
his countrymen, on charges as frivolous as they were 
unwarranted. There is an instance connected with his 
ostracism which I shall relate. In a case of banishment, 
six-thousand votes were required before sentence 
was pronounced. The name of the person to be exiled 
was written on a shell, and this was given to the judge in 
the market place, who counted the votes. Aristides 
was walking upon one of the streets of Athens, when 
an illiterate person meeting him, asked him to write the 



PALM SUNDAY. 139 

name of Aristides upon his shell. Whereupon Aristides 
inquired whether this man had ever injured him. " No," 
was the reply, '* he never injured me ; nor do I know 
the man ; but I am tired of hearing him called the 
just." Aristides wrote his name upon the shell, and set 
out to his place of banishment. In the history of our 
own country, you find the man who expended his 
fortune in caring for the soldiers in Valley Forge, 
languishing in prison for a debt. This sad case induced 
a poet to say : 

" It must in sooth, be joy for you to see 
Yon monument reared to thee ; 
Piled granite and prison cell, 
The land repays thy service well. 

There is not anything so easily and so readily erased 
from the human mind as the memory of benefits 
received or kindness bestowed. Prosperity's gale sweeps 
you onward ; then praises are showered upon you. 
But should adverse winds break upon you, then cen- 
sures take the place of the dying echo of previous 
praise. In failure^ we discover our friends. And it 
is strange how so many are condemned in their adver- 
sity, who were lauded in the day of their success. The 
carper does not care to understand that a man's great- 
est and noblest efforts are often made when he struggles 
with misfortune. Then, indeed, is he the grandest ; but 
his grandeur and superhuman exertions are overlooked 
on account of the inconstancy of his friends, or they 
are hidden by the viclousness of his enemies. This 
instability, this fickleness, is what changed the hosannas 
of Palm Sunday into the awful cry of Crucify Him, 
crucify Him ! It transformed joy into wrath, laudations 
into curses. 

You, my dear friends, may censure the Jews for their 



140 PALM SUNDAY. 

inconsistency, for their ingratitude ; but before you 
remonstrate against the Jews, consider your own 
ingratitude to God. This is Palm Sunday morning. 
You have assembled here in His Church to praise Him, 
to sing hosannas of thanksgiving and joy ; still, before 
Good Friday, will not some of you cry out Crucify Him, 
crucify Him ? Monstrous thought ! Awful expression ! 
some of you may say. Yet, by your action you shall 
crucify again your Divine Lord. By your own sin and 
foul ingratitude you may, ere the sun declines on next 
Good Friday, change your praises into insults and 
deadly offences against Jesus, Who loved you, and Who 
continues to love you so much. How often have 
you welcomed your Saviour into your bosom, only to 
forget His presence and grossly offend Him shortly 
afterward ! How often have you bedecked your 
hearts with the mantle of your affections, when in the 
Blessed Sacrament He was about to visit you ; and ere 
the night of that happy day closed upon you, you defile 
that heart which received Him and that tongue which 
whispered your joys at His coming ! Had the Jews 
been persuaded that Jesus was the Son of the Most 
High, do you think they would have persecuted Him, 
as we His children by adoption have so often done ? 
How many times we have spurned His goodness, forgot- 
ten His mercies, and belittled His passion and death ! 
All this is due in a large measure to our fickleness. 
Had we been more mindful of the inestimable favors 
conferred upon us ; had we oftener availed ourselves of 
those channels of grace instituted by our beneficent 
Saviour, we would have been stabilitated in our good 
resolution, and been more exemplary in our conduct — 
conduct pleasing to God and beneficial to our fellow- 
men. Let us now, as we gaze upon the spiritual 



PALM SUNDAY. 141 

barrenness of our past lives, determine that during this 
week we shall, in a special manner, render homage to 
God. Let the young and the old come to church dur- 
ing this holy time ; and by their prayers and good 
works manifest sorrow for their sins, thanks for heavenly 
benedictions, and compassion for the sufferings 
and death of Christ, Our Lord. Though you de- 
serve much commendation for your regularity 
in attending the religious exercises of the holy 
season of Lent, still persevere. Always let it be 
your highest aim to love and serve Him Who 
underwent such great ignominy for you. In thus observ- 
ing God's law, in thus appreciating His magnanimous 
generosity, you will ever be irreproachable Catholics ; 
and dying, may you, on your way from this life, sing 
anthems of joy and gratitude never to end ! 



EASTER SUNDAY. 



INFLUENCE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH UPON 
CIVILIZATION. 

He is risen. (Mark xvi. — 6.) 

My Dear Friends : The presence of Jesus, the Saviour 
of mankind, on earth, began a new era in the history of 
the human race. His death upon the cross drew the 
human heart toward Him ; but His Resurrection gave 
confidence, while it afforded evidence of His divinity. 
Were other proofs required to establish His claims, we 
find them abundantly in the history of modern times. 
They are manifested in the influence of His doctrine 
upon society. Upon this glorious feast, commemorative 
of the Resurrection of the Son of God, civilization 
attests the force and persuasiveness of His divine 
precepts. At this time, when both the durability and 
efficacy of the New Dispensation have been tested by 
nineteen centuries of trial, we discover no symptom 
of decay or impotence. 

The Catholic Church to-day is more vigorous, more 
influential than ever before ; and civilization acknowl- 
edges the debt she owes the spouse of Jesus. Behold 
her this morning celebrating the glories of Christ ! 
Here in this beautiful church in the mountain, you only 
typify the magnificent ceremonies of the Catholic 
Church everywhere held in commemoration of the 

142 



EASTER SUNDAY. 143 

stupendous event which transpired on this day. As 
you kneel to-day offering your homage to Jesus, so 
millions of Catholics throughout the civilized world do 
in like manner. What unity in faith ! What devotion 
at the holy sacrifice ! What praise to the Creator of all 
good ! What a glorious tribute from faithful hearts ! 
Does not all this tell of the influence of the Church 
upon civilization ? Can such devotion, such unity 
of love for the Saviour of mankind, be ineffectual in 
drawing souls toward Him who is the perfection of all 
created things ? As they approach this centre of 
perfection, must they not be effected by its radiations 
and subdued by its refulgence ? But what leads them 
thither? The Catholic Church, which He established 
for this purpose. Since civilization is an evidence of 
an advancement toward the centre of perfection, it 
cannot be successfully denied but that the Church is the 
divinely-appointed guide to conduct the human race 
through the various degrees of civilization, until man- 
kind reaches its greatest development on earth, and 
crosses the boundarv of time. 

Christ is risen ! But what civilization would accrue 
from that resurrection, had not that same Christ 
organized some means by which His doctrine could be 
taught and transmitted to posterity ? His principles 
of a new civilization would have been forgotten upon 
His ascension into heaven. It was necessary, then, in 
the economy of this Dispensation, to propagate the 
will of the Redeemer. Had that will not been diffused, 
the purpose for which Jesus died would have been 
frustrated. But divine intelligence knew how to dis- 
seminate the principles of Christianity, and therefore 
said to His apostles : " Go forth and teach all 7iationsy 
Thus the Catholic Church was commissioned to establish 



144 EASTER SUNDAY. 

a new order of things. To be sure, civilization is not the 
primary motive of Christianity ; still civilization follows 
from Christianity as an effect from its cause. The 
Catholic Church was instituted to preach Christ Cruci- 
fied ; to tell of His love for the human race ; of the 
worth and destiny of every human soul ; of the nobility 
of that soul ; of the chastity which should adorn it 
and the lofty purposes to which it should attain. 
Could man abide by such teachings and not advance 
in civilization ? Would he not become more dis- 
tinguished for those noble qualities of soul which 
mark a good man, in proportion to his adherence to 
the precepts imparted by the Man-God, Jesus Christ ? 
As the tongue voices the thoughts of the intellect, so 
civilization speaks of the divine source whence it 
springs ; the former depends upon the latter. 

It may be said that nations celebrated for their high 
degree of civilization, flourished before the twilight of 
Christianity. As to this advanced form of civilization 
in such nations as Greece and Rome, we beg to make 
a few comments. But first let us say that there was 
a religion supporting and maintaining that ancient 
civilization ; and if the religion was natural and 
imperfect, so was the civilization. Some may be 
astounded at our impertinence in thus speaking of 
those idols of ancient times to which so many moderns 
offer incense. Permit us to explain. We do not wish 
to underrate the achievements of these distinguished 
nations of antiquity, or belittle their attainments. We 
admire the perfection of their painting and sculpture ; 
we praise the sagacity of their statesmen and the valor 
and strategy of their soldiers ; we marvel at their 
poetry and rejoice in their eloquence ; but we condemn 
their inhumanity, while we challenge a comparison 



EASTEB SUNDAY. 145 

between their most exalted citizens and an average 
Christian. We discover among their greatest sons, 
traitors who sold their countries' interests for gold. 
Some of them were tyrants, and many of them were 
merciless butchers. They exhibited some natural 
powers ; yet the strength of their intellects, the delicacy 
of their imagination and their skill in giving expression 
to both, remained in the sphere of the material. With 
a few exceptions, they never rose to those grand con- 
ceptions which denote Christian genius ; and those 
exceptions never broke through the darkness which 
surrounded them, or reached those exalted views of 
liberty and equality declared by Jesus and taught 
by His servant, the Catholic Church. Compare their 
moral code with that of Christianity, and the comparison 
will amply illustrate the superiority of the latter. 

Let us now, my Christian friends, consider some of 
the notable characteristics of Christian civilization. In 
these are contained the active principles of civilization. 
You need not be told one of these is the equality of 
mankind. All men are created equal, is one of the 
great principles of our government. But who first 
impressed man with the truth therein embodied ? Jesus, 
the Saviour of man. Who preached that truth for 
nineteen centuries ? The Catholic Church. Who 
infused that truth into the life of society ? The same 
promoter of society, the Catholic Church. Beyond the 
influence of Christian civilization, point out a nation 
which sustained this vitalizing principle or encouraged 
its sway. Show us an example of such magnanimity ! 
Tell us of a people who denounced slavery or who 
struck the shackles from the limbs of the serf ! You can- 
not. The condition of slavery was hopeless. There 
was no equality, no Christian charity, no true civilization ! 



146 EASTER SUNDAY. 

Before the birth of the Christian era, the few were 
great and the masses slaves. The captive of war was 
doomed to a life of slavery. He was treated as a brute. 
He graced the triumph of his captors, and was often 
doomed to die in the arena in order to entertain the 
brutish whims of a people whom some call highly 
civilized. Those who escaped such a death, knew only 
drudgery, merciless masters, and ignominy as degrad- 
ing as it was inhumane. Say not this is civilization ! 
Say not that slavery becomes a human creature endowed 
with the image and likeness of his God, with an 
immortal soul redeemed by the blood of Christ ! 

The Catholic Church severed the bondage which 
debased the human body and retarded the development 
of the human soul. She pleaded for the captive and slave. 
Her voice was raised against the abominable institution 
of slavery, and demanded liberty for all ! As an evidence 
of her success, there is not a nation in union with her, 
which retains the nefarious traffic of slavery or serfdom. 
In her first efforts she sought and obtained the liber- 
ation of the slave ; and afterward, when serfdom was 
introduced into Europe by the devastating invader, she 
never gave up the contest until she abolished the enslav- 
ing power of the master, and rescued the serf from his 
abject condition ! 

Bancroft, our American historian, admires the equality 
of man inculcated by the Catholic Church in the adminis- 
tration of her sacraments. He is describing the great 
efforts made by the early Catholic missionaries among 
the Indians. Among the exalted features of Catholic 
instruction and Catholic magnanimity, he notes especi- 
ally the administration of the Sacrament of Holy Eucha- 
rist. " The savage," he says, " partook of this sacrament 
which the kings and princes of Europe received. The 



EASTER SUNDAY. 147 

most regal person in the Old World could not receive 
more, and the savage of the forest was not denied this." 
An extraordinary proof, he continues, of the equality 
of man as taught and practised by that Church. But the 
Catholic Church, in administering the sacraments to the 
native of the wilderness, was only fulfilling the command 
of her Divine Master, Jesus Christ : ''Go ye into the whole 
world and preach the Gospel to every creature!' ( Mark xvi. — 
15.) Make no distinction between the great and the 
lowly. All shall participate in my sacraments, and 
shall be sanctified by my grace. One only requisite ! 
One obligation ! Only one ! And this is worthiness — 
and this is demanded from all without exception ! 

When the distinction of caste and feudalism threat- 
ened todestroy in Europe every vestige of civil authority 
and invalidate every human right, the Church fought 
the battle of social order, and triumphed over principles 
which must necessarily have lead to anarchy. As a 
distinguished writer in the Foreign Quarterly Review 
argued : " Feudalism was the worst foe to social order ; 
because it was equally opposed to the sovereignt}^ of the 
monarch and the liberty of the people. Could it have 
held its position, Europe must have sunk into barbar- 
ism ; but it had to oppose a powerful principle — the 
influence of the Church. In the eleventh century, the 
papacy fought the battle of freedom and civilization." 
Let me add when the distinction of caste was every- 
where recognized in social life, the Catholic Church 
alone knew no aristocracy except that of talent ! 
Men of literary attainments, men of genius, were 
acknowledged and respected, it mattered not whether 
they arose from the ranks of the serf or from the families of 
the great ; the lowly could aspire to the tiara, and wear 
the ring of the fisherman. In fc^ct, the humblest from 



148 EASTER SUNDAY. 

the low ranks of society sat in the Chair of St. Peter 
and wielded the destinies of the Church. Wonderful 
equality ! Marvellous liberty ! The Catholic Church 
never knew a slave; all were freemen with her ! Free in 
their inherent rights ! Free by the redemption of 
Christ ! Free by the grace of the sacraments instituted 
by that Christ ! 

You have heard it said that the Catholic Church is an 
enemy of progress, of progress in literature, of progress 
in science, of progress in art, of progress in anything 
and everything which awakens the dormant energies of 
the human soul. She is a foe of all enlightenment, the 
coercer of the will, and enslaver of the intellect. But 
history and your own personal observations contradict 
such calumny. History teaches that the Catholic 
Church was a friend of society, and at times its only 
friend ; that she was the champion of man's rights ; that 
she stood between him and the oppressor ; that amid so 
much chaos during so many centuries she was the one 
great unyielding power which defended man's liberty 
and sustained social life. But she is the foe of enlighten- 
ment, and intellectual progress is her ruin, we are told. 
Let me reply that during the last three centuries the 
intellect of man has been most active. One startling 
invention has followed another with amazing rapidity ; 
literature is cultivated with untiring industry; every form 
of religion which can be imagined, has been tried, 
and no religion at all has millions of followers ; still, 
has the Catholic Church suffered from this progress ? 
Who will say she has ? She was ever the foremost 
in scholarly attainment, and she is so still. The 
brilliancy of the last few centuries of advancement did 
not dimmer her glory nor diminish her luster. Indeed, 
it only assisted in establishing her claim and declaring 



EASTER SUNDAY. 149 

her supremacy. In every struggle she astonished 
her adversaries by the profundity of her knowledge 
and the inexhaustibility of her intellectual resources. 

Her foes were from every field of disputation, and 
their failure to triumph, proves her power and 
endurance. Many urged that she would pale before 
the scrutiny of recent examination ; that being the 
enemy of learning, she would finally be subdued by the 
diffusion of letters ; when education became general, 
her weakness would be displayed. Is it so ? What 
Church makes greater sacrifices for education ? And 
who are those who are superior to her children in 
knowledge ? 

To enter into a closer examination of her merits in 
the matter of education would lead us beyond the limits 
of a sermon, which indeed we have already transgressed. 
Suffice it to say that her system of education is 
not deficient, as our public school system is. She 
trains the whole child. While she stimulates him to the 
highest efforts of profane knowledge, she points him 
toward heaven ; she tells him of his duties toward 
himself, toward his neighbor, and toward his God. 
She trains him not only for earth, but also for heaven. 
She says to him: ''Ascend to the temple of erudition. 
Gather the brightest laurels in the world of intellectual 
effort ; but offer the bays of your victories to your 
God. To Him be always obedient ; Him you must 
adore ; from Him you must not depart. " Does not this 
instruction lead to the highest development, to the 
highest civilization ? 

We have only considered briefly two factors in civiliza- 
tion : the equality of man and the influence of learning. 
There are other potent factors which we cannot at present 
examine. But in all means for the true advancement 



150 EASTER SUNDAY. 

of the human race, the Catholic Church is first ; and 
without her we would have only a pagan civilization. 
She has her principles of action from the source of all 
perfection, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit teaches and 
directs her. Her commission is from the lips of Jesus 
Himself, and will endure until the stars in the heavens 
grow dim, the sun refuse his light, and Jesus, the 
glory of this feast, will appear to judge the living and 
the dead ! 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



Thomas answered, and said io Him : My Lo . and my God. 
(John XX. — 28.) 

My Dear Friends : This morning you are surprised, 
probably shocked, at the incredulity of St. Thomas the 
Apostle when he boasts : " Unless I see in His hands the 
print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of 
the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not 
believe. " What extraordinary words are these for an 
apostle to use ? What convincing proofs he demands, 
before he will acknowledge the Resurrection of his 
Lord and Master. You are astonished by the unbeliever 
of this age, when he bombastically declares he will not 
believe only what is demonstrated clearly to his reason. 
Yet, you see an apostle demanding the same grounds for 
conviction. St. Thomas had listened to the persuasive 
discourses of Jesus. He had noted their influence upon 
the multitudes. He had been a witness of miracles 
performed by the same divine power. To the speech- 
less tongue, voice was given ; to the blind was given 
the joy of vision ; to the motionless limbs, the power 
of action ; to the sick, the happinesss of health ; to the 
sinner, the peace of a pure soul ; to the dead, life. He 
had seen all these wonders. Why, then, should he not 
believe in the Resurrection without seeing the risen 

151 



152 FIEST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

ChrisL ? Marvellous forbearance of Jesus ! Judas had 
betrayed Him ; St. Peter had denied Him ; now Thomas 
disbelieves in the Resurrection. What treachery in 
His few chosen companions ! What fickleness and 
insincerity ! 

St. Thomas had known that Jesus was dragged to the 
halls of judgment ; he had at least heard of His scourg- 
ing, and the crowning of thorns ; and was convinced 
of His ignominious death upon the cross. Did these 
cruel acts in the tragic drama of salvation under- 
mine his faith ? Did a God dying on a cross seem 
inconsistent to him ? Had he lost faith in his Divine 
Master ? Was he about to unite with the Jews, the 
enemies of Jesus ? What lack of devotion to his 
Divine Leader ! What faithlessness to his Friend ! 
What cold indifference to his Lord ! Marvellous, 
indeed, that he did not reflect upon the past ; that he 
did not draw strength and faith from the wondrous 
life of Christ. Probably he relied too much upon his 
own shallow powers of comprehension, and conse- 
quently the grace of faith was withdrawn for a time. 
Like the agnostic of our day, he was incredulous ; he 
desired proofs. 

But Jesus appeared to him, and impressed the seal 
of conviction upon him. Jesus also had witnesses — the 
disciples were present ; so that had St. Thomas been 
inclined to make light of the matter to the other 
disciples, in order to shield his previous incredulity, he 
was not permitted: " Put m thy finger hither, mid see 
My hajids ; and bring hither thy hand and put it into My 
side ; and be 7iot incredulous but faithful ^ When he 
beheld his Divine Master before him; when he saw the 
wounds, he exclaimed: ''My Lord and my God!'' 
Well might he now be ashamed of his conduct. 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 153 

His boasting had vanished. He stood in the august 
presence of his God, convicted of the want of affection, 
gratitude, and fidelity. 

You may be disposed to reprimand St. Thomas. 
You may in thought aver that had you the opportuni- 
ties with which he was blessed, you would have been 
firm in your faith, steadfast in your constancy, 
unwavering in your attachment to Jesus Crucified. Yea, 
the agnostic, or even the atheist may proclaim, had I 
seen these things, I would have knelt in adoration, and 
with my whole soul acknowledged my Lord and my God. 
Still, singular as my statement may at first appear to 
you, let me say you have as great evidence of the 
divinity of Christ as that bestowed upon the faithless 
Thomas. Nor do I mean to direct your attention to 
the revealed word of God in the Sacred Scriptures ; 
nor am I relying upon your inflexible faith to accept 
my arguments without proof. No : but I am able to 
place before you evidence which neither you nor the 
atheist can refute. Where is this evidence to be 
found ? In history and the human heart. That Jesus 
is the Son of His Eternal Father, is demonstrated by 
the history of the Church established by Him. If He 
was not the Son of God, He was a most cruel impos- 
tor ; but where is the impostor, or where was ever the 
impostor whose memory has lived as His ? What phil- 
osophy did they teach which survives ? What institu- 
tions did they found, whichhas with stood the tempests 
of civil strife ? What principles of morality did they 
inculcate, which still influence the conduct of society ? 
There are none. The perpetuity of the Catholic 
Church is a miracle in itself, sufficient to convince any 
unprejudiced thinker. The appearance of Jesus to 
incredulous Thomas was not more persuasive than the 



154 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

continual existence of the Church for so many cen- 
turies. Dynasties have fallen ; thrones have crumbled 
into decay ; the map of the world has been often 
changed. In the midst of all agitation and decay, 
though disturbed by internal conflicts and attacked by 
external foes, the Church braved every storm, rode 
the billows of revolution, and is to-day more influen- 
tial than ever before ! What phenomenon can equal 
this ? Let scoffers scoff ; let atheists sneer ; let 
agnostics boast, — but they cannot explain this 
phenomenon on any other hypothesis than that Jesus 
was the Son of God, and that His Church is under the 
protection of heaven. When we examine history with 
all its vicissitudes ; when we ponder upon the marvel- 
lous growth and endurance of the Church, — we cry out 
with St. Thomas : '' My Lord a?id my God.'' 

The other proof to which I wish to invite your 
attention, is the love in the human heart for Jesus 
Crucified. This love is incomparable to everything 
human. It is a phenomenon which cannot be explained 
except on the hypothesis mentioned above, that Jesus, 
the Son of Mary, is also the Son of God. How many 
have suffered captial punishment, and in a few days the 
excitement was passed, and they were forgotten. This 
is not only true of those outlaws who atoned for their 
crimes upon the scaffold ; but also the innocent and 
noble who perish by the caprice of infuriate mobs or 
the malice of their enemies. Who thinks now of 
Demosthenes, of Socrates, of Cicero ? But Jesus died 
an opprobrious death on the cross. No criminal was 
more degraded by man or more punished. Why, 
then, does His memory continue to dwell in the hearts 
of mankind ? Why is it not forgotten ? What per- 
petuates His love ? What renders it so fixed and 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTEE EASTER. 155 

immortal ? He was a great benefactor. Conceded. 
But there were other great benefactors before His 
day and since. Why are their memories wrapped in 
the folds of oblivion, while His is imperishable ? The 
unbeliever may reason as much as he likes ; he must 
return to the unavoidable conclusion : He was and is 
God. 

Distinguished persons have flourished. Some were 
celebrated for their beneficence ; some for sagacity ; 
others for wisdom, valor, holiness ; but among all these 
celebrities, where is the one like unto Jesus ? Analyze 
their lives ; weigh their actions ; consider their 
influence ; estimate the efficacy of their names, — and 
again I inquire, where is there one among them com- 
parable to Jesus ? Wonderful Babe ! You puzzle our 
comprehension, because you are divine. Many cele- 
brated individuals have been honored by an idolizing 
people : monuments have been reared to declare their 
greatness ; still, to whom has so many monuments been 
erected, so many temples of worship dedicated, so 
many hearts devoted, as to Him who died the infamous 
death of the cross ? 

In this very year several highly esteemed persons 
departed from this life. Among them two celebrated 
statesmen, Bismarck and Gladstone. How intensely 
they are woven into the warp and the woof of the his- 
tory of this period. Their names were known in every 
part of the civilized world. Their influence was well- 
nigh unlimited. They could make and unmake 
nations ; but now what ? The grave has received 
their ashes ; and it would seem their memories, too, 
so little is spoken about them, though they are dead 
only a few months. But behold the inspiration in the 
sacred name of Jesus, though it is now approaching 



156 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

nineteen centuries since He expired in anguish ! In 
every age, among every civilized people, His name has 
been venerated and Himself adored. Is this super- 
stition ? If so, why cannot other superstitious effects 
be shown similiar to this. Why have not those votaries 
of atheism and agnosticism cast around some of their 
idols this magic cloak of superstitious power ? Why 
have they permitted Voltaire and Rosseau, Diderot 
and Kant, Spinosa, Darwin, and Huxley, to pass like 
dreams from the minds of men ? Why have they not 
embalmed some one of those in superstition, if for no 
other purpose, simply to deny Christ and prove that it 
is superstition which cherishes His love, while it per- 
petuates His memory ? Ah ! they well know that they 
are wrong, and that iii Jesus of Nazareth there is some- 
thing superhuman. They may be masters in sarcasm ; 
fluent of speech, — hypnotizers in a manner ; but they 
cannot deceive the faithful followers of Christ. 

For Him the martyrs shed their blood ; for Him 
saints have undergone sufferings and privations ; for 
Him the greatest scholars have labored ; for Him the 
missionary has invited danger and willingly exposed his 
life, that many may hear of Jesus Crucified, and be 
enriched by the fruits of the Redemption. How our 
own country is replete with the history of those daun- 
less soldiers of the Cross whom the Indians tortured, 
and by savage brutality put to death, whom others 
followed to endure the same privations and meet the 
same fate ! Where in the annals of history, can 3/ou 
find such devotion and sacrifices to the principle of 
any man ? Surrounded by so many proofs of loyalty; 
overwhelmed by the thought which these proofs 
inspire, we humbly exclaim : My Lord and my Jesus, 
you are truly God ! 



FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 157 

Behold the number who abandon the world with all 
its attractions ! They take the vows of voluntary 
poverty, perpetual chastity, and entire obedience. For- 
evermore they must struggle against their passions ; 
they must for the will of a superior forget their own 
wishes ; no desire of wealth must tempt them to 
violate their vow of poverty. Wh}^ do they make such 
sacrifices ? Why submit to so many mortifications ? 
Why abandon their friends and home ? For the love 
of Jesus Crucified. Where can the agnostic or atheist 
find such love and attachment for any of their great 
teachers ? Where is the emperor who has discovered 
such fidelity in any of his subjects ? Where are any of 
the distinguished, the celebrated dead, for whom such 
sacrifices are made and so great love maintained ? 
Nowhere ; there are none who live so miraculously in 
the memory of others, except the Child of Bethlehem. 

Here we have many acting not in accordance with 
the stupendous motives which actuate and control the 
destinies of men and nations, but entirely the contrary. 
Why is this ? The answer is simple : it is Jesus. His 
divine grace tenderly interferes and benignly directs 
many to renounce the common ways of mankind. His 
divine grace, Jesus hanging on the cross, is more potent 
than wealth, fame, or pleasure. He is loved, and why? 
He conquers, and why ? Because He is God. Where 
is the rationalist who can explain these phenomena ? 
He may gibe, but gibes are not arguments. He can- 
not point out a single person or object who retains 
such influence over the human race, or for whom so 
great loyalty and love have been manifested. History 
tells only of one, and that One is Jesus. From the arms 
of Mary, His Mother ; from the manger, from the Cross, 
He rules, and His rule is obeyed by millions. Many try 



158 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

to disbelieve these indisputable facts, but they are 
impregnable. They shuffle off the sweet bonds of faith, 
only to be shackled by the manacles of human opinion. 
They depart from the harbor of tranquillity, only to be 
cast upon the rocky, bleak promontories of doubt. 
They leave peace, but they find no rest beyond. 

As for you and all other Catholics, there is no 
question of doubt. Millions have loved and adored 
the Infant of Bethlehem. Millions kneel to-day before 
the sacred shrines in which He stays for us, and give 
expression to their love and gratitude. Humbly they 
kneel — some with aching hearts, some with tears ; 
but all with love for Jesus. Let us join with them, 
and from the deepest recesses of our hearts, exclaim : 
" Mj/ Lord and my God ! ' ' 




SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



I am the Good Shepherd. (St. John x. — ii.) 

My Dear Friends : This beautiful expression, the 
subject of to-day's discourse, tells us of the benign 
watchfulness of Jesus over mankind. He represents 
Himself as a shepherd. Not one, however, who will 
abandon his flock in the time of danger ; not the hire- 
ling whose interests are the wages received for his ser- 
vice. No ; He says, "/ am the Good Shepherd " ; and 
immediately adds, ''The good shepherd giveth his life for 
his 'sheep." Our Divine Lord has shown Himself to be 
the Good Shepherd of the human race. If you want 
proofs of His goodness, behold the Infant Jesus shiver- 
ing in the manger at Bethlehem. If you desire evidence 
of His magnanimous interest in His flock, look upon 
Him as He hangs on the cross. Here are convincing 
manifestations of His love. Jerusalem and all the places 
around that city have by His presence become sacred. 
No man spoke as He ; no man evinced such unselfish con- 
cern in our race as He. The Crib of Bethlehem has 
made that town famous. The glories of ancient Rome, 
Corinth, and Athens, are vanquished by the destructive 
influence of time. But while their luster is a thing of 
the past, Bethlehem and Calvary will be ever sacred to 
Christians of every land and age. Why this wonderful 
deference ? Why does the heart cling to these places, the 

J59 



160 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

scenes of so much humiliation and cruelty ? It is need- 
less to say that their immortality is due to the Good 
Shepherd. One is the place of His birth ; the other of 
His ignominious death. All the country was the scene 
of His labors and His love. Every spot upon which 
the Saviour trod is imperishable ; and its memory will 
be as enduring as the human race. 

The Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus, tells us that He 
knows His sheep, and that they know Him. Here your 
minds revert to His vigilance. He knows everyone of 
His sheep. None can go astray without His being 
conscious of the loss. And how often He leaves the 
ninty-nine that are safe, to go in search of the lost one. 
^' I know Mi7ie and Mi?ie know Me.'' Yea, He should 
know them. He humiliated Himself to the lowest 
abjection for them. The cruel suffering of the cross was 
not considered too much. ''I lay down My life for My 
sheep.'' Nay, more than this He can say : for He has 
been a shepherd to you during your whole life. Has 
He not attended to your wants in every moment of your 
existence ? Can He not say to you : " I have watched 
over your cradle ; I have regenerated you at baptism. 
Then you began to know My kindness. You became 
My lambs. Heaven was promised to you, if you always 
remain within My fold. I shall adorn your countenance 
with every exalting virtue, and as long as you are 
obedient to My voice, on your 'brow shame will be 
ashamed to sit. 

The Divine Shepherd may call your attention to 
another act of His watchfulness and care. In order 
that you may never separate from Him, He impresses 
upon your soul His love, and wishes you to be happy 
here as well as hereafter. For this purpose He points 
out the course over which He has conducted you : " I 



SECOND SUNDAY APTEE EASTEB. 161 

have not left you after baptism, to battle alone with 
danger, " He continues, " but I have watched over the 
years of your young life ; and in due time I have led 
you to the sacred tribunal of penance. In this holy 
place My grace was once more infused into your 
young soul. I told you, then, that in sorrow and 
in trouble, in disappointment and in sin, 3'ou should 
always come to Me for counsel and aid. Should you go 
astray, should you spurn My kindness and minimize 
My goodness, listen to the voice of your Shepherd, and 
come to Me in the Sacrament of Penance. Here your 
sorrows will be turned into joys, and your past way- 
wardness I will forget." You are not ignorant, my 
Christian friends, of this benevolent act of our Divine 
Shepherd's love. How often has He not gone after the 
strayed sheep, begging them to return — to return to His 
inexhaustable fountain of mercy, the Sacrament of Pen- 
ance? Sometimes He pleads with the heart in the most 
endearing terms. He assures you of His affections. 
When this fails, He causes the heart to throb with sor- 
row, sometimes affliction, so that He may teach you 
your waywardness, point out the destruction which 
awaits you, and lead you back to the fold whence you 
separated. He takes you by the hand,-— assures you 
there is no need of fear : *' Confess your transgressions, 
be sorry for your sins, and we shall be friends again." 
Along the journey of life. He does not for a moment 
abandon you. From the first cry of life to the last 
moan of death, He is with you. For the purpose of 
keeping before your eyes His ceaseless attachment to 
you as well as to encourage you. He has instituted the 
Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. Having made you as 
spotless as an angel in the purifying waters of baptism, 
haying conducted you to the refreshing channels of His 



162 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

grace in the Sacrament of Penance, He now prepares 
your soul for another feast of His untiring love. He 
gathers you about Him as He once gathered the apostles, 
and bids you partake of His adorable body, blood, soul, 
and divinity. ""Take ye mid eat^' 2.xq His loving words. 
" Eat of this bread, and you shall never die. It will be 
your strength and solace in every vicissitude of fortune. 
When your feet are bruised on the craggy way of life, 
when thorns will pierce your hearts, when friends prove 
traitors, then remember I am the Good Shepherd. Come 
to Me, and I shall comfort you. Come to Me in Con- 
fession ; come to Me in the Holy Eucharist. Participate 
in My grace, and communicate with Me in the Sacra- 
ment of the Altar." Thus, my dear friends, He speaks 
to you ; thus He leads you through the tempests of life 
He says, morever, ^^ Mine know Me!' — ''I am the Good 
Shepherd; I k?iow mine and mine know Me!' It follows 
from this that there are some whom He knows not, 
and these do not know Him. What is the cause ? 
Why do they not know Him ? Ah, the great barrier 
is sin. He has gone in quest of them often, but they 
hearkened not to His voice. He has begged of them to 
come to Him and find peace of soul and tranquillity of . 
heart. But they refused. What a terrible thing it is 
by sin not to know God ! Once the sinner was a child 
of God. In its baptism it was immaculate— not a stain 
sullied the soul. But now it does not care to be one 
of the Saviour's flock. How many a Catholic has 
wandered far from the friendship and care of the Good 
Shepherd ! The soul is steeled with the wickedness 
of a sinful life. Bad company has dried up the fruit- 
ful grace with which the soul was once fertilized. 
Barrenness exists now, where formerly the richness of 
God's blessings abounded. Low motives have taken # 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 163 

the place of great and noble incentives. Honor has 
been expelled by profligacy ! The promises of youth 
have decayed before the blast of lust and intem- 
perance ! The Good Shepherd seeks them, entreats 
them to return, and thus their offences will be buried in 
the depth of oblivion. They despised His call. Though 
once they were favored children of the Church, now 
they know not their Saviour and their God. How 
wretched must that one be, who rejects the generous 
offer of our Divine Lord. " I shall not go with you," 
he snarls ; " I know you not, nor do I care to know you. 
You promise peace, but I prefer the tortures of sin ! 
You point to heaven as my eternal home ; I point to 
hell as my preference ! I will not repent. Better for 
me to be in hell, than be with the virtuous and the good 
in heaven ! You show me the imprints of the nails 
in your hands, tokens of your love forme ; but I prefer 
to be a slave of Satan than a child of your affections ! " 
'* O miserable sinner ! " you may exclaim, "how can 
you insult the majesty of God ? How can you abuse 
His goodness and disregard the preciousness of your 
own soul ? " 

How low must that one have fallen ? Into what 
depths of debasement he must have sunk ? When our 
Saviour rejects him, and says : " I know you not ; you are 
not of My fold. I have fondled you in your infancy, I 
have nursed you in your childhood, I have blessed you 
in your youth with the blessing of every grace, but you 
have abandoned Me and persisted in your abandonment. 
I know you not. You will yet cry upon Me, but I shall 
not hear you. You shall die in your sins." 

O stony-hearted ingrate ! how much you must have 
insulted your God of mercy and love, to force Him to 
pronounce such a malediction upon you ? You are 



164 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

obstinate ; you are a fool in your wisdom ; your soul is 
marred by sin, and stultified by your vain efforts 
to deny the goodness of God. Boastfully you deny 
the providence of the Creator, and attempt to be- 
little the magnificent works of His hand. You may as 
well try to pluck the stars from the firmament, or pre- 
vent the dews of a summer morning. Your efforts are 
vain, and your life is a curse to the earth. 

" A?id other sheep I have, which are not of this ] old ; they 
also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, a?id there 
shall be o?ie fold and one shepherd'' Yes, our Divine 
Lord will bring other sheep into His flock, who will 
appreciate His goodness and proclaim His praises. 
His unlimited mercies will be the theme of their 
eloquence and the hope of their lives ; profound 
gratitude will rise from their hearts, like holy incense. 
There shall be o?dy one fold a?id one shepherd. What, then, 
about the negligent, unthankful Catholic who has 
wandered so far from the fold in which he was 
born, and in which he received so many blessings. 
This ingrate will be an outcast. Jesus, who died for 
him, will disown him. By the deformity of his coun- 
tenance, the horrible condition of his soul will be 
known. Every opportunity was given him to return. 
In vain did the Good Shepherd plead with him to 
re-enter the fold which he left for the ways of sin and 
crime. His offences would have been blotted out, and 
all the joy of an innocent heart would have been 
bestowed upon him. Exhortation was ineffectual ; 
entreaty was no use ; his heart was like the marble. 
The gentle influence of divine grace fell upon his soul 
with ^s little effect as the dews upon the adamantine 
rock. Honor, chastity, manhood, were to him power- 
less terms. Without the fold he lived, and an enemy 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 165 

of God, he dies. O miserable life ! O wretched 
death ! 

Let me beseech you, my dear friends, to remember 
the lesson which this day's Gospel imparts. In every 
change of fortune, never forget your God. Should the 
withering blasts of adversity beat upon you, or the 
flattering wand of prosperity enlarge your coffers, 
never abandon your Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus. In 
success, do not be unmindful of the Creator of the 
wealth of heaven and earth ; nor in failure, be dispon- 
dent. Anchor your affection and your hope in the 
bosom of your Divine Benefactor. During life, let 
your highest ambition be to live within the fold ; then, 
dying, you shall rise to be ever united with Him 
beyond the grave, where He will reward you for your 
constancy. 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep ; 
but the world shall rejoice ; a7id you shall be sorrowful; but 
your sorrow shall be turned into joy. (St. John xvi. — 20.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Lord tells His Apos- 
tles that for a little while they will not see Him, and on 
this account their hearts will be sorrowful. He is to 
suffer — He is to be crucified. They shall commiserate 
His anguish ; they shall mourn His death ; they shall 
be sorrowful. But again in a little while, they shall see 
Him again. He shall rise gloriously from the tomb. 
He will banish their mourning ; their sorrow will be 
turned into joy. Again their Lord and Master will 
stand in their midst ; they will be electrified by His 
presence. Again they will listen to His voice and 
receive counsel from His instructions. They will be 
commissioned to tell all peoples of God's goodness, and 
teach them the words of eternal life. 

They were sorrowful. Their hearts were troubled. 
They saw Him bound as a criminal and dragged to the 
seats of judgment. Wonderful humility, patient suffer- 
ing, complete abjection, for the salvation of man ! 
They knew of His condemnation, heard of His painful 
death upon the cross. One of them, with His Mother, 
beheld the execution of that awful sentence. Were 
not their hearts sorrowful ? Wonder, indeed, that the 

166 



THiRt) SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. l67 

Mother's heart did not break from deepest grief ! But 
the world will rejoice. This is the way with the world. 
It has no time to lament over the sorrows of others. 
It has no heart, no sympathy. Here, however, while 
it does not sorrow, it will rejoice. Jesus dying in tor- 
ments will ever be the cause of their joy. The 
redemption of the human race, the pardon of sin, the 
hope of eternal happiness, will be the perennial fountain 
of their joys. Limbo rejoiced ! The earth rejoiced ! 
Heaven itself rejoiced ! And this rejoicement sprang 
forth from the wounds of Jesus, as purest water springs 
from inexhaustible fountains to slake the thirst of the 
fatigued traveller in the desert of sorrow and sin. 
Since the first Good Friday, how many a sorrow has 
been turned into joy ; and since the first Good Friday, 
how many a sorrow has benumbed the heart ! 

It has been well. The sorrows of Jesus are the joys 
of poor, frail man ; and the sorrows of many men have 
been a solace and a pleasure to many others. Without 
sorrow, what a heartless, lifeless world ours would be ! 
No sympathy, no pitying emotions, no tender condo- 
lence. The heart would be cold. It would never 
vibrate with that soothing consolation which now dis- 
tinguishes gentleness of heart, kindness for suffering, 
compassion for grief. Without sorrow, the heart would 
be povertible indeed. Sorrow is the keystone in the 
arch of the brotherhood of man. Take it away, and 
friendship falls, pathos falls, mercy falls, charity falls. 
You probably never reflected upon the great blessings 
of sorrow. 

What about sorrow In works of literature and art ? 
Where would be the tender strains of Burns ? the 
affectionate outburst, the indignation, the love, and 
the plaintiveness ? Had not Ireland felt the pangs of 



168 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

oppression, where would be the pathos of Ireland's 
harp and the dolefulness of Moore's song ? Had 
Father Ryan, the poet-priest of the South, no sorrow, 
where would be these pure, humane, heaven-bom out- 
pourings of his troubled soul ? "Where would be those 
everlasting emotions of Petrarch, Milton, Shakespeare* 
and hundreds of others, which are now immortalized 
in verse for our culture and advancement ? Those 
thoughts, rising forth from the wells of sorrow, are now 
our joy and our consolation. You may call it senti- 
mentality, if you will ; but this is the sentiment which 
refines, polishes, perfects the human heart, while it fer- 
tilizes the human soul. The world is better for such 
sorrow ; the world is better for the voice of the poet ; 
the world is better for all the lamentations recorded in 
the Sacred Books of the inspired writers. The Bible 
teaches as persuasively by its sorrows as by its joys. 
Yea, let me add, more efficaciously by its sorrows. 

In painting, in these imperishable symbols of man's 
painted thought, how fruitful is sorrow ! You admire 
the images of celebrated men and virtuous women, 
renowned for the grand part they took in something that 
interests mankind. But in a picture, the artist's genius 
is what's most admired. His skill in the delineation, 
his accuracy in representing character, his delicate 
coloring — in a word, his genius ! Ah, were there no 
sorrow, where would be his genius! It is sorrow which 
stimulates his genius ; it is sorrow which edifies his 
heart ; it is sorrow which conceives in his soul these 
grand ideals ; it is sorrow which gives them birth. 
Look at that pathetic picture, *' Another Marguerite " 
is its name ; stop but a moment before another, ** The 
Death of Her First Born." I shall not ask you to 
examine others. These two are sufficient. Other 



THIKD SUNDAY AFTEE EASTER. 169 

pictures may make you laugh ; these will make you 
weep, and you will be the better for these tears. Tell 
me not that the artist did not weep while giving 
expression to so much sorrow ; His soul was necessarily 
agitated to its depths. There, on canvas, are the con- 
ceptions of his genius ; and what overmastering concep- 
tions they are ! Sorrow herself pleading for sympathy. 
Her supplications awakening every gentle, every re- 
sponsive chord. The heart of the spectator is burdened, 
but the burden is sweet. He is now more responsive 
to the cry of want ; he feels now, more keenly than ever 
before, the moans of his unfortunate fellow-man. Ah, 
what an education ! What culture ! What refinement ! 
A whole life-time could not have had so much pure 
feeling for the woes of others ; could not have touched 
so effectually the chords of human sympathy. Surely 
the artist wept ! 

I shall not detain you by proving that these ever- 
lasting masterpieces of Titian, Raphael, Michael Angelo 
and others have had their origin in sorrow, though some 
are expressive of joy. Had Jesus never died, there 
would be no Resurrection ; had Mary, the Mother of 
Jesus, never endured the anguish of the cross, there 
would be no Coronation of Mary by the celebrated 
Titian. But let us return to the foot of the cross for a 
little contemplation. Where can a more sorrowful 
scene be witnessed ? — the gentle, the good, the merci- 
ful, dead on the cross ! Look at the anguish settled 
upon His sacred countenance ; note every wound of 
every scourge ! Observe the gash made by the lance ! 
See the blood trickling from His hands and feet ! 
Mark where the crown of thorns pressed upon His 
sacred head ! Surely the chalice of sorrow was con- 
sumed by Him in all its bitterness. There was no sor- 



l70 THIRD SUNDAY APTEE EASTER. 

row like unto His — sorrow produced by pain, sorrow 
caused by ingratitude, and this was the crudest of all. 
Still, what joy comes from that sorrow. The world 
rejoices, the world has rejoiced, the world will rejoice ; 
and all this rejoicement springs from His sorrow ! 
The martyrs rejoiced, the saints rejoiced. Every wound 
upon the sacred body proclaims joy to every Christian, 
pardon to every sinner, mercy to every penitent, — and 
all these the messengers of joy to every afflicted heart ! 
From these speechless wounds come forth the language 
of most soothing joy. A Magdalene still finds joy in 
these sacred feet ! A Peter still finds the joy of 
repentance in those sorrowful eyes. The sinner's tears 
are turned into pearls of joy ; punishment into pardon ; 
despair into hope ! The princess and negro girl, the 
emperor and the wretch, the saint and the sinner, draw 
the inspirations of joy from their crucified Lord. " The 
world will rejoice,'' yea, rejoice in its new life ! The 
child will rejoice when Jesus enters his soul for the 
first time in Holy Communion. The contrite penitent 
will rejoice as he leave sthe sacred tribunal of penance. 
The dying will rejoice as they fix their last gaze upon 
eternity, and thoughts of their crucified Jesus arise to 
encourage hope and guarantee mercy. Earth, purga- 
tory, even heaven rejoices, at the victory won by 
Jesus, and at the mercy, the pardon, the love bestowed 
upon poor, sorrowful man. 

You perceive now that sorrow is not the worst mis- 
fortune which may befall you. Ofttimes instead of it 
being a misfortune, it is a blessing. It is only when 
the rose is bruised that it exhales its perfumes. It is 
only when the heart is crushed that it breathes forth its 
sweetest expressions ; and then, too, it is that another 
heart often vibrates in purest sympathy. Prostrated 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 171 

and crushed, the heart gives voice to notes of human 
feeling which sound and resound forever. Prostrated 
and crushed, the heart drinks solace and resignation 
from the fountain sources of heaven. Prostrated and 
crushed, the heart finds shelter in the bleeding heart of 
its dying Saviour ! 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



But when He^ the Spirit of truth, shall come^ He will teach 
you all truth, (St. John xvi. — 13.) 

My Dear Friends : There are many who disbelieve 
the Catholic Church. They say she teaches errors ; 
that she is an incapable guide ; that she is antagonistic 
to free institutions ; that her doctrine is false. But 
note the words of our Divine Lord: " Wheii He, the Spirit 
of truth, shall come, He will teach you all truth!' How, 
then, can any reasonable thinker maintain that the doc- 
trine of the Church is false. The Holy Ghost is her 
guide and teacher. He imparts to her the knowledge of 
these truths, which are essential in advancing civiliza- 
tion, in sustaining free institutions, and in preserving 
the Church of God on earth. You may retort : " We 
concede that the Holy Spirit teaches truth, but 
the Catholic Church is deaf to His divine teachings ; 
she abuses truth and inculcates errors." Let me call 
your attention to another promise made by the Son of 
God to His Church. In the Gospel, according to St. 
Matthew (xxviii. — 20), Jesus says to His Apostles : 
" Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I 
have commanded you ; and behold I am with you all 
days, even to the co?isummation of the world!' Now, 
every Christian concedes that Jesus Christ is God, 
equal to His Father : then He must know all things ; 

172 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 173 

therefore He must know at the time He made the 
promise which I have just quoted for you, that the 
Catholic Church would teach during all future time. 
He knew this because He knows all things. How 
could He have espoused the cause of error ? Could 
He say : ''Behold, lam with you all days, eve^i to the 
consummatioji of the world,'' if He knew that the Cath- 
olic Church would deviate from her glorious mission 
and associate herself with infamy and sin ? He could 
not ; still, He must have known this, if it were ever to 
take place. Therefore, it never did take place, never 
will take place, because the Son of God, Jesus Christ, 
declared to His infant Church : ''I am with you all days, 
even to the consummation of the zvorld!' To say that 
Jesus could remain with so nefarious an organization 
as that which imparts falsehood, as that which mutilates 
the divine commission to mankind, is blasphemy. 
Such an imputation strikes at the divinity of Jesus 
Christ — denys that He is God ! 

" By their fruits you shall knoiv them'' — " A good 
tree cannot yield bad fruit!' (Math. vii. — 16 and i8.) 
It is thus with the Catholic Church — she cannot yield 
bad fruit ; that is, her doctrine must remain undefiled. 
Jesus has enveloped her in the armor of truth, while 
the Holy Ghost infuses into her spirit courage and 
fidelity, vigor and infallibility. For almost nineteen 
centuries she has borne upon her banner the escutcheon 
of truth. Through all the storms — political, civil, and 
religious — she has clung to her Guide, and He to 
her. She has civilized barbarians ; she has championed 
the cause of the oppressed and restrained the tyran- 
ny of despots. She is the mother of art, science, and 
literature. She taught the ignorant when Protestant- 
ism was unknown. She legislated wisely amid con- 



174 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

fusion. She triumphed over every discordant element. 

" By their fruits you shall kuow them^ Permit me 
to request you to compare the fruits of Protestantism 
with those of Catholicity. But first let me remind you 
that I am not instituting this comparison to hurt the 
feelings of people who may differ with me. God forbid 
that I should ever be so inconsiderate as not to respect 
the feelings and opinions of the well-meaning. The 
object I have in view is to instruct, not to irritate. 
Now observe the contentions and divisions in Protest- 
antism. Presbyterians differ with Methodists ; Bap- 
tists with Lutherans ; and thus the dissension goes on, 
every sect disagreeing with every other. Nor is it 
uncommon to see the members of any one sect quarrell- 
ing among themselves as to what is doctrine and what 
is not. God is not the author of dissensions, but of 
harmony. There is system and harmony in all His 
works. The fruits of Protestantism are discord, dis- 
union, and disbelief. Do not understand me to mean that 
Protestants are vile people. There are good and bad 
among them. Some very excellent persons are Protest- 
ants. Some of my very best friends are Protestants. 
But I am not considering individuals. I am now com- 
paring religious systems. In Catholicism, all is unity ; 
in Protestantism, all is dissension. In Catholicism, all 
is concord ; in Protestantism, everything is discord. 
Protestantism has the inherent elements of decay ; 
Catholicism possesses the principles of endurance. 
Protestantism, existing for only three centuries, is like 
a piece of glass broken into innumerable fragments; 
Catholicism is an adamantine rock, enduring for nine- 
teen centuries, and rendered inseparable by the 
expressed command of the Son of God. 

^' By their fruits yon shall know them." Ask an intel- 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 175 

ligent Protestant, whence the tree of Protestantism 
sprang, and he will point you to Germany and England. 
Ask him who planted this tree, and he will tell you 
Martin Luther of Germany, and Henry VIII. of Eng- 
land. Ask him why they planted this ; and, if candid, 
he will tell you rebellion against legitimate authority 
was the cause. Inquire of a Catholic, whence sprang the 
tree of Catholicism, and he will point you to heaven. In- 
quire of him, who planted this tree, and he will answer, 
Jesus, the Saviour of mankind. Inquire of him, why 
the tree was planted, and he will respond : " To bring 
forth fruit in abundance for human society and the 
society of heaven." How many have been nourished by 
this fruit! How many saints and martys ! How many 
scholars and poets, painters and sculptors ! The rich 
and the poor, the weak and the strong, the young 
and the aged, have partaken of this fruit. Whatever 
Protestantism has good, in doctrine, the Catholic 
Church has this, and more, too. 

This is the inevitable consequence. It could not be 
otherwise, considering the promise made by the Saviour 
of the human race. Bear in mind Wis words: '' But the 
Paraclete, the Holy Ghost whom the Father will sefid i?i My 
name, He will teach you all things, a?id bring all things to 
your mind, whatsoever I have said to you, and behold I am 
with you even to tJie consummation of the worlds How 
sad it is that all do not belong to the one true Catholic 
Church ! How many great-souled, generous-hearted 
Protestants there are who would make devout Catholics ! 
With what devotion they would kneel before the 
Blessed Sacrament ! How ardently they would pray ! 
With what zeal they would attend the most adorable 
sacrifice of the Mass ! They would be a source of much 
edification to some indifferent Catholics. They would 



176 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

stimulate these to arduous efforts in the service of God. 

Ah, it is a pity Protestants do not reflect upon the 
grandeur of the Catholic Church and her divine com- 
mission. Were they only to ponder carefully the vast 
influence of the Church upon society ; were they only 
to compare unbiasedly her immense superiority over 
Protestantism ; were they only to weigh prudently the 
authority of both and the sources of this authority, they 
would be drawn irresistibly to the bosom of the old 
Church. Reason would indicate to them the true path 
to religious peace, while the Spirit of God would 
illumine their intellect and move their will to return 
to the Mother whom their ancestors many years ago 
abandoned. 

But some one may reply : "Ah, this is all very good ; 
still there are many bad Catholics." Yes, we answer; and 
the charge is as true as it is deplorable. Yet it must 
be remembered that many a good house has a bad 
tenant ; that among the twelve apostles chosen by Jesus 
Himself, one was a devil ; that in every town and city 
the infamous exist as well as the virtuous. Again, Prot- 
estants will admit that there are among themselves 
many of the vilest ; that Catholics make great efforts to 
attain to righteousness ; that in the most tempestuous 
weather Catholic churches are filled with the devout 
faithful, while their churches are nearly empty. Nor 
should they forget that human nature is frail. The good 
and the bad have always been, and will continue to 
be, until the "crack of doom." Moreover, the Re- 
deemersaid : " I came not to call the righteous, but the sinner, 
to repentance'' And just here, mark the charity of the 
Catholic Church. True to the teachings of her divine 
Founder, she does not neglect the wayward and the 
sinner ; she does not cast a cold, unfriendly glance upon 



FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 177 

the poor, — but she cares for all. Many Protestant 
Churches have regard only for the rich and the 
influential. They are called in many places the 
churches of the rich. The Catholic Church, however, 
sees in every human being an immortal soul — immortal 
and priceless — a soul for which Jesus died. She takes 
that soul, poor and sinful as it may be, cherishes it for 
Jesus' sake and its own advancement, and in the end that 
weak, sinful soul may be a saint. How parental ! What 
a patient tutor ! How much like her Eternal Guide, 
Jesus, the Benefactor of infirm human nature ! 

This is not her policy for to-day or yesterday. This 
has been her policy since Jesus told her to teach and 
convert all nations. She has been always faithful to His 
command. She has not harmed wealth, but she has 
always defended poverty. She did not destroy the 
powerful, still her voice was ever raised in defence of 
the oppressed. She protected all. Labor and capital 
were friends. The representatives of both knelt before 
the same altar, and adored the same God in the same 
manner. There were, when she alone ruled the destinies 
of Christians, no socialists, no anarchists. Justice ruled 
in the bench, and charity in her asylums. Man was 
then nearer the brotherhood of man than now. 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



But I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go: 
for if I go not^ the Paraclete will not co7ne to you j but if I go^ 
I ivill send Him to you, (St. John xvi. — 7.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Saviour called the Apostles' 
attention to His glorious Ascension and the necessity 
thereof. He is about to depart from them, and their 
hearts are sorrowful. Into their bosoms He pours the 
balm of divine consolation. He will not leave them 
alone. The Paraclete will come to drive away sorrow 
and inspire fortitude. There are many things of which 
He would speak, but now they cannot bear them. 
They are mourning over the thought of separation, and 
are unfit at this time to receive further instructions 
concerning the great mission to be undertaken by them. 
This sadness is natural enough. They have been in the 
company of their Master for some years. Perhaps 
they could not explain the influence which bound Him 
to them, and affected every fibre of their nature. The 
presence of the Lord of heaven and earth among them, 
and the power of that presence, permeated their entire 
being. How sublime an honor was bestowed upon 
them ! how wonderful they were exalted by the com- 
panionship of Jesus ! how the world might well envy 
their pre-eminence! The benign bonds of grace held 
them to Him. The strongest and purest ties of friend- 

178 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 179 

ship drew the Master and His disciples together in the 
holy cause of regeneration. Now, having accomplished 
the redemption of man, He is soon to return to 
the bosom of His Eternal Father ; but He will not 
leave the Apostles without a guide : He will send them 
the Paraclete, who will enrich their souls with His 
sevenfold gifts. 

After the Ascension the Apostles were timid, as the 
Scriptures testify. They were 'enclosed in a room, hid- 
den, lest they might provoke the spleen of the Jews, 
and be consequently punished — probably put to death. 
They were fearful of danger ; but after the descent of 
the Holy Ghost, they knew no danger and feared no 
resentment. They were inflamed with a holy fervor to 
preach Jesus Crucified ; and, if need be, die for the 
faith they taught. Now these gifts which the Apostles 
received from the Holy Spirit, were also given to you 
in Confirmation, if you were worthy of them. Every- 
one of you were favored according to your worthiness 
and your wants in life. These gifts, as you remember 
from your Catechism, are : wisdom, understanding, 
knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety, and the fear of 
the Lord. Hence the Sacred Scriptures teach, the fear 
of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This is self- 
evident to anyone who will give himself the trouble of 
honest contemplation. The fear of the Lord conducts 
you judiciously through the dangerous storms of life, to 
the home in heaven for which you are destined. A 
merchant fears the disasters of mercantile business, is 
cautious on this account, and succeeds by means of. 
his prudence. The sailor fears the destructive tempest, 
takes precaution, and saves himself and cargo. And it 
is so in all human affairs. A well-regulated fear brings 
the rewards of wisdom to those who wait assiduously 



180 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

upon her. Some say that God is a God of love and 
therefore need not be feared. Indeed, it seems to me, 
on this very account, we ought to fear to offend His 
love and provoke His justice. By the fear of God is 
not meant a cringing, cowardly timidity, but a reveren- 
tial awe for the majesty of God and a detestation for 
everything which insults His love. Not that fear with 
which the poet Burns was tormented when he cried : 

"O Thou, unknown cause of all my hope and fear, 
In whose dread presence ere long I must appear ! " 

No ; but that fear which, while it guards against 
transgression of God's law, shields us from the misfor- 
tunes of a sinful life. This is true wisdom ; for it is 
unwise to enkindle, by our evil deeds, the wrath of a 
loving God. 

Permit me to direct your attention a little farther in 
the consideration of this gift of the Holy Ghost — wis- 
dom. You should not confound wisdom with knowl- 
edge. A man may be an encyclopoedia of information, 
and still have very little wisdom. Instead of his knowl- 
edge being useful to him, it may be an injury 
or a burden to him. A store-house of unwieldy 
knowledge is like an army of undisciplined soldiers. 
It has the appearance of strength, but in reality it is 
weak and without purpose or power. And if knowl- 
edge is of the destructive sort, it may be compared to 
an army in a state of mutiny. Wisdom it is which 
systematizes, governs, and directs knowledge. It is to 
knowledge what an intelligent agent is to the applica- 
tion of steam, or any other force of Nature. Wisdom 
selects the best means to arrive at the most advanta- 
geous ends. It is the queen, or should be, of all intel- 
lectual activity. It is the great power which has elevated 
nations to the zenith of their grandeur, and given them 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 181 

a history as inextinguishable as it is glorious. Their 
growth and prosperity were d*ue to their wise rulers. 
And if powerful nations have declined, their decay 
was owing to their disregard of wisdom. " Love the 
light of wisdom,'' says the Book of Wisdom (vi. — -23.), 
'' all ye that bear rule over peopled Again the Sacred 
Scriptures impress upon us the necessity of wisdom, 
by saying : " Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away, 
and is easily seen by them that love her, and is found by them 
that seek her!' (B. Wisdom vi. — 13.) And here is an- 
other truthful maxim : " Wisdom is better tha?i strength, 
and a wise m.an is better than a strong ma?i." 

We must not confuse wisdom with understanding, 
either. You may be able to understand, analyze, exam- 
ine many things, and yet be unable to apply them, or 
anything else, meritoriously. But, while knowledge 
and understanding are not wisdom, the wise man pos- 
sesses sufficient of both : for knowledge and understand- 
ing are the honored servants of wisdom . It may be well 
to add here that, while the perfection of wisdom is a gift 
of the Holy Spirit, the principle itself is created by Him 
in the soul of man : it is a part of that wonderful crea- 
tion with which man's intellect is endowed by Almighty 
God. This idea induces us to reflect upon the results of 
wisdom in the temporal and spiritual affairs of life. 
This gift of the Holy Ghost strengthens, enlarges, and 
beautifies the spark of divinity within us. It enables 
us the better to succeed in all the concerns of human 
action. To be sure, all this presupposes an ardent 
desire to receive the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, 
with a continual compliance to His holy will. 

You may now be inclined to reply : " Oh, how can a 
person succeed in many of the occupations of every- 
day life, if he carefully observes the teachings of the 



182 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

Holy Ghost and the maxims of wisdom? We must 
contend with those who have little or no regard for the 
precepts of religion; we must be engaged in business 
with the rough and the rascal ; we have to meet dishon- 
est competition ; and in order to do this well, we 
are compelled to use their weapon to defend ourseh'cs." 

Now, all this seems plausible enough ; but }ou are 
never to forget that there is a God. This truth you ought 
to engrave upon your soul so deeply, that its oblitera- 
tion would be impossible. God is the Author of all wise, 
legitimate law. He knows the past, He sees the future. 
To err is beyond His domain. He is the source of all 
wisdom. The whole universe — all creation moves and 
acts in accordance to His will. You must not onl}- admit 
these truths — you must admire the works of His hand and 
the wisdom \Ahich directs them. Considering these 
things, is it possible for \^ou to conclude that uncreated 
wisdom could make a law or command }ou to obey a 
precept injurious to you ? Does He not understand 
the present condition of things among the nations of the 
earth ? Did He not always know the present state of 
affairs ? Can he not discriminate between honest}- and 
dishonesty, between right and wrong ? Most assuredly. 
The one who shapes his conduct in conformit}- with 
His law% is wise ; and will prosper. While he admires 
the wisdom of God, as manifested in all these phe- 
nomena coming under his observation, he does not fail to 
see that the one who obeys the divine law, lives and 
acts in the universal harmony of things. The dishonest 
man may prosper for a time, but his prosperit}' will 
have an end, and during even its continuance he will 
have very little joy. 

If you examine the moral and religious aspect of life, 
you will easily discover how essential is wisdom for the 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 183 

sustenance of every elevating virtue ; and how indispen- 
sable it is for a defense against the numerous enemies of 
morality and religion. Material prosperity, as lasting 
as it is great, depends also no less upon the wisdom of the 
possessor, than does moral advancement. A man may 
be wise, yet poor. Another may be rich, yet unwise. 
The former drudges in poverty, but has wealth in the 
fruit of his soul and in advoiding the wrecking disasters 
of life ; the latter abounds in opulence, yet is ruined in 
the shoals of his presumptuous pride. This one is 
unhappy ; that one is contented as far as this world allows 
mortals to be. But above and beyond the transitory 
things of this life, the wise man is investing his capital 
in good works, which bring an everlasting interest. He 
is honored by those who know him, and will be 
rewarded hereafter by the God of wisdom. ''Olijioiv 
beautiful is the chaste geiieration. with glory! " says the 
Book of Wisdom (iv.— i), '' for the memory thereof is im- 
mortal; because it is knoivii both with God aiid zuith man!' 
We should learn, then, to listen to the voice of wisdom. 
We should pray to the Holy Ghost to instil it into our 
souls, to teach us every day its beautiful ways, and to 
assist constantly in shaping our conduct in accordance 
to its sublime maxims. In the ordinary affairs of life, 
it is useful; but in the momentous concerns of earth and 
heaven, it is incomparable. May Thou, O Holy Spirit, 
infuse into our souls a love for this, your great gift ! 
May it direct us from the monster of moral decay ! In 
the torturing dilemmas of our earthly existence, may the 
refulgence of Thy wisdom be the light to guide us to 
the haven of tranquillity ; and in death, may Thou lead 
us to the sanctuary where Eternal Wisdom resides ! 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 



But these things I have told you ; that when the hour of 
them shall come J you may remember that I told you. (St. John 
xvi.— 4.) 

Now, my dear friends, what were the things of which 
our Divine Lord told the Apostles ? You need not 
be informed that He spoke to them of the troubles 
they were to meet. He told them of the ingratitude 
they may expect — of persecutions, of revilings, of im- 
prisonment, and death. He told them these things, 
that, when they came to pass, they would not be dis- 
couraged. In these injuries and abuse they would 
remember the words of their Lord and Master: ''Because 
you are not of the worlds but I have chosen you out of the world, 
therefore the world hateth you'' (St. John xv. — 19.) " If 
they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you*' 
(St. John XV. — 20.) Jesus, in this way, addressed His 
Apostles, and through them the Church in every age. 
Discord and persecution are characteristic features of 
the Church's suffering ; and in the divine economy, 
are necessary for the purity and endurance of His 
Church. " The servant is not greater tha?i his Lord." 
Jesus set the example ; none of His followers suffered 
more than He. 

Marvellous, indeed, is the faith and fortitude implant- 
ed by the Holy Ghost in His Church. When one pon- 

184 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 185 

ders upon her history and views the many vicissitudes of 
fortune through which she has passed, he is astonished 
at her vitality, and acknowledges her divine commission. 
Who, gazing upon the two wanderers, Sts. Petet and Paul, 
upon the Appian Way, could have guessed their mission 
or predicted their success. Two strangers with the com- 
mand of their Master impelling them onward, journeyed 
toward the city of the Caesars. They were weary, and 
probably hungry. They were the representatives of the 
infant Church, — poor, unknown, unlettered men on a 
mission to the proudest city on earth. How could they 
curb the crimes prevailing there ? Who would listen 
to their discourses upon the Crucified Jesus ? They 
were an incredulous people glorying in the strength of 
their armies, the intellectual achievements of their most 
celebrated sons, and their extensive conquests. Why 
should they hearken to the voice of such pilgrims ? 
What could they teach them which they did not know? 
One thing, truly — God. They knew very little, if any- 
thing, about Him. But they had their pagan gods, and 
they were satisfied with them, — they wanted none other. 
Moreover, the things which the strangers taught were 
so difficult to understand. Some of them were called 
mysteries; and like the agnostic of our day, they cared 
little for what they could not get within their intellectual 
grasp. But Rome yielded; — a persuasive argument to 
the unbelievers and skeptics of our time, that Jesus con- 
quered, that the Nazarene triumphed, — one of the most 
cogent proofs of the divinity of Christ and the imperish- 
able existence of His Church ! These may scoff at the 
Catholic religion ; they may boast of their endowments 
and exalt their incredulity ; but the Church has out- 
lived many a scoffer. The rarest mental attainments 
have been, and still are, in her possession, and she 



186 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. 

has seen proud incredulity humbled and dispersed. 

Thinking upon the early history of the Church, the 
unbiased are compelled to admire the faith and praise 
the courage of these two dauntless men. As the Catho- 
lic sees for the first time the road upon which they 
walked to Rome, the prison in which they were confined 
and the places of their execution, an awe overspreads his 
soul, and unconsciously he is meditating upon the past. 
He follows the two saints on their way and into the city ; 
wonders at what happened ; surmises the information 
which he seeks, but cannot obtain. He is in the misty 
past. The haze of centuries obscures his vision, and he 
endeavors to connect by inference, the special events of 
their teaching in the eternal city. He looks upon these 
ancient ruins. They have crumbled into decay. St. 
Peter and Paul, he says to himself, looked upon these 
same structures. These ruins were then glorious ; the 
conqueror passed under this triumphal arch. Caesar was 
entertained in that amphitheatre ; Cicero's eloquence 
resounded in that great forum. But the forum is in 
ruins, the amphitheatre is crumbling, the triumpal arch 
is in deca)^ ; but there is St. Peter's raising its magnifi- 
cently crowned head to the skies, proving to us that the 
commission of Sts. Peter and Paul has not failed, that 
their teaching conquered — that Rome is Catholic ! 

They suffered, it is true ; suffering is a special mark 
of the true Church ; Jesus foretold it, and the history of 
the Church shows that His prediction is verified. In 
every age the Church has had her sorrows. If pagan 
emperors were not persecuting her, heresy was striving 
to sap away her life's blood ; if barbarians were not 
devastating Rome, schism was plundering her achieve- 
ments and retarding her progress ; if Luther was not 
laboring to destroy her, some of her own members were 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER. J.87 

planning discord and fermenting quarrels ; but over all 
these obstacles she has risen, the unspotted spouse of 
Christ, the living evidence of His prophecy. In the 
present century, France, the eldest daughter of the 
Church, has plundered her churches, destroyed her 
revenues, and murdered her priests. The Kulturkamps 
in Germany, imprisoned her clergy, banished her relig- 
ious, and confiscated her property. In England, you 
have heard the no-popery cry, or you have read about 
it. In our own beloved country, we have had the Know- 
Nothings ; and now the A. P. As. are swearing ven- 
geance against her, while the Junior Order of American 
Mechanics holds it is a crime for nuns to wear their hab- 
its in the public school. The consequence of which 
is that Gov. Hastings has immortalized his name by 
placing his signature to a bill hatched by the Junior 
Order, nurtured by fanatics, and sponsored by religious 
hatred. The cry was no popery, now the cry is no 
Bible ; but the Church goes steadily onward, pitying 
and praying for her persecutors. 

Catholics sometimes complain that they have man}' 
obstacles to surmount on account of their religion ; 
that this is a barrier to their advancement. No doubt 
this complaint is true. Others are preferred to them. 
They are debarred from the offices of State, because 
those prejudiced against their religion will not sup- 
port them in time of elections. Others, again, meet 
opposition from employers for the same reason. Still, 
my Christian friends, you should not be downcast or 
discouraged by such unfriendliness. As Catholics, 
}'ou may expect the same or similar persecutions as the 
Church w^hose principles you profess. As followers of 
Christ, as Catholics, you must encounter such opposi- 
tion. Imitate the Church ; learn to be patient ; draw 



188 SIXTH SUNDAi AFTER EASTER. 

consolation from the sufferings of your Lord and Mas- 
ter, Jesus Christ. Be faithful to Him, and remember 
that persecution purifies you. There is another life 
beyond the grave, another Judge of human merit, 
another Ruler Who spurns injustice and rewards the 
faithful. 

Besides, you ought not forget that persecutions 
have purified the Church and increased the fidelity of 
her children. From every assault she has come forth 
stronger than she was before the attack. The same 
holds good in respect to every Catholic who adheres to 
her teachings. They may be harassed by disappoint- 
ments and oppositions, but these things, if they are 
faithful, will only augment their fortitude and develop 
their resolution. The intellect becomes stronger, the 
great powers of the soul are made more resplendant, 
while the heart is cultivated to feel for the wrongs of 
others. Toil, toil, toil under the auspices of honest 
motive, and your adversaries will acknowledge your 
honesty and admire your determination. By an hon- 
orable life, you can do much to dispel prejudice and 
win esteem. Your very opponents, at least many of 
them, have a keen perception of worth and a gener- 
ous regard for fidelity. Dissipate their errors, and you 
will find them the best of friends. 

One fierce obstacle which many Catholics meet, 
arises from the irregularities of some Catholics. All 
are judged by some, from the actions of a few bad or 
indifferent Catholics. Were all to obey faithfully the 
teachings of the Church, imitate the life of Christ, 
there would not be so much prejudice or opposition. 
A tricky, insincere, dishonest Catholic brings oppro- 
brium upon a whole parish or a whole city. Catholics, 
for their own honor, should not sustain such a person ; 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTEB EASTER. 189 

but should be the first to teach him that his low craft is 
insupportable. Then you learn from the opposition 
which you yourselves encounter, to treat others fairly. 
Never attempt to build your reputation upon the 
ruins of others. An injustice to anyone is a violation 
of God's law, and will necessarily bring retribution ; 
and the attempt to advance yourselves at the expense 
of others, ill-becomes a follower of Christ. Such 
advancement is only a deterioration from all the noble 
principles which ought to actuate a Catholic in all 
his dealings. 

Be careful that your failures are not caused by your 
own faithlessness, indolence, insobriety, or dishonesty. 
Many a person attributes his difificulties to others, or to 
the fact that he is a Catholic. But were the true caused 
to be ascertained, it would be found to reside in him- 
self. He is too smart, as they say. He thinks none 
can perceive his questionable cunningness ; still they do, 
and he finds it out to his sorrow. Such a Catholic 
wrongs himself and injures others. Let your motto 
be : fairness to everyone. You will in this way not 
only help yourselves, but you will assist many others 
to employment. 

Should you, nevertheless, suffer from religious 
opposition, fear not. Every faithful disciple of Jesus 
has had to endure more or less opposition. He has 
told you these things, so that when they occur you 
will remember His words. The history of the Church 
is a recital of sorrows and opposition ; she looks to her 
Divine Master for support and guidance ; and He came 
to her when the storm was the fiercest, and she rode 
the billows in safety. Again I say to you, imitate her 
example, and Jesus will allay your difficulties and 
assist you in surmounting all obstacles, 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 



But the Paraclete^ the Holy Ghost ^ whom the Father will 
send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring all 
things to your mind, whatsoever I shall have said to you. 
(St. John. xiv. — 26.) 

My Dear Friends : The mission of our Divine Lord 
was to redeem man, to instruct him, and to give him the 
means by which he could attain to everlasting happi- 
ness. It was not His purpose to save the people only of 
His time ; such exclusiveness is incompatible with the 
mercy of God. God's love extends to all mankind 
without exception. He desires all to be saved from 
the tempests of time, that after the storms they may 
enjoy their reward. He came on earth, therefore, to 
purify the soul of man from the curse of original sin, 
and to establish a Church in which the glory of His 
name, the merits He had won, the influence of His 
power, should be perpetuated. For this end He 
organized a Church, commanding it to teach His word, 
and gave to this Church a pledge of His everlasting 
support. '' The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send 
in My name, He will teach yon all thiiigs'' These are 
the words of the unerring God. In St. Matthew, xxviii., 
20, the same infallible voice says : '' Behold I am with 
you all days, even to the consummation of the worlds 
Again He says : ''Peter, upon this rock I shall build 

190 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 191 

My Churchy and the gates of hell shall not prevail against 
ity These guarantees of God's presence in His Church, 
of His ceaseless aid, of His incessant protection, are 
verified by sacred and profane history. 

No Christian can question the veracity of God's 
word ; but should unbelievers deny the Scriptures, let 
them examine the history of nations during the last 
nineteen centuries, and tell us whether they are able to 
discover anything so marvellous in its nature as the per- 
petuity of the Catholic Church. Repeatedly have the 
storms broken upon her, but instead of destroying, they 
trained the pilots of Peter's barque to ride the waves and 
master the elements of convulsive society. Through- 
out the various changes of unstable human nature, 
throughout the reigns of treachery within her fold and 
without, amidst dissensions and against hostilities, she 
has lived and flourished. This miraculous existence 
must enlist the attention of even her enemies, while it 
is a proof of her divine establishment as well as an 
assurance of her deathlessness. 

Now, were I to ask you : why are you created ? 
Your answer would be : all mankind is created to love 
God on earth and be eternally happy with Him in 
heaven. How can man love God ? By knowing Him, 
and obeying His will. Where can he obtain the knowl- 
edge of God? In the Catholic Church ; — "/ shall 
send the Holy Ghost, who ivill teach you all tlmigs, a?id 
behold I shall be zvith you all days, even to the cojisum- 
ination of the worlds How may I be able to obey 
Him ? By being a dutiful child of the Church which 
He organized. As of old, Noah and his family were 
saved from the universal destruction of the deluge, so 
everyone who desires to be saved from endless perdi- 
tion ought to enter the ark of salvation, the Catholic 



192 . FEAST OF PENTECOST. 

Church. You may inquire, " cannot some reach heaven 
by other means ? " To this we must answer, that it 
is not in the power of man to determine. The answer 
to such a question should be referred to Almighty 
God. What He may in His mercy confer on those who 
are in good faith, but not members of the old Church, 
is not within the grasp of man to solve. This, how- 
ever, is true, that He established a Church, gave it 
authority to teach, marked out its mission and destiny. 
It follows, then, that He has bestowed upon the human 
race the means of salvation, and that He expects all 
who desire to attain to the realization of His promise, 
will avail themselves of these means. 

God has, then, instituted a Church. By following 
her laws, our temporal and spiritual needs, inasmuch 
as they pertain to our well-being here and hereafter, 
will be supplied. But which is this Church ? There 
are many churches now. Which is the true Church? 
It requires no demonstration to prove that the Catholic 
Church is the one delegated by the Son of God to 
teach, and is, therefore, the true Church and the only 
true Church. This may sound harsh to some good 
people educated in the views maintained by their par- 
ents, and taught to them by their ministers ; still it 
is the truth. If any of our modern establishments 
declare such not to be the case, we ask them, when did 
the Saviour tell them to go and teach ? When did 
He declare to them : " The Holy Ghost will teach you 
all thijigs, and I Myself shall abide with you forever. " 
Neither to Luther nor to Calvin, neither to Henry 
VIII. nor any other of the so-called reformers, did He 
speak thus. The Catholic Church was commissioned 
by the Saviour of mankind. .She existed before all of 
her claimants. She was present at the Last Supper. 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 193 

She stood at the foot of the Cross. She rejoiced at the 
Resurrection, and with doleful contemplation, beheld 
the Ascension. She taught the Jew in his chief cities. 
Where the eloquence of Grecian orators was applauded, 
her voice was heard, speaking the goodness and mercies 
of the Crucified Saviour. Where Roman power, munifi- 
cence, and learning were concentrated, she feared 
not to denounce paganism and preach the doctrine 
intrusted to her. In these early centuries where were 
these modern disciples of contentious opinions, of free 
thought, of a go-as-you-please sort of religion ? They 
were unborn. Some can trace their origin to some 
three centuries ago ; others are but of yesterday. Com- 
pare the oldest with the Catholic Church, and they are 
only infants. But time is not the principal factor in 
the demonstration. When and where, we demand, did 
they receive the order to teach ? What guarantee can 
they give to their followers that they were invited by 
heaven to instruct in new forms and new ceremonies 
and new opinions ? This is an important affair to 
every Protestant. Would our non-Catholic friends be 
as indifferent in researches appertaining to their tem- 
poral affairs ? We believe not ; yet, when a Catholic 
priest essays to call their attention to things of so great 
moment, some will charge him with unkindness. or 
attribute his motives to bigotry or hatred. We know 
not what a priest would gain by thus provoking his 
well-meaning Protestant neighbors, unless it be their 
rancor and displeasure. Still, in charity, the Church 
must call attention to her divine commission, invite all 
to become her children, hold out the grand induce- 
ment to re-enter the spiritual home which they left. 

One ponderous distinction between the Catholic 
Church and the doctrines of other Christian bodies, is 



194 FEAST OF PENTECOST. 

the infallibility of that society organized by Jesus and 
sustained by His unremitting power. It is not my pur- 
pose to discuss the dogma of infallibility upon this 
occasion. I shall only give you a simple illustration 
which will point out to you the truth I wish to convey. 
Supposing, now, I am a sincere person without religion, 
but am desirous to become a Christian and serve God 
the remainder of my days. I have given the subject 
serious thought. My mind is disturbed by my scruples 
and doubts. I have resolved to seek advice. I 
approach a Presbyterian minister, I tell him of the tor- 
ture of my heart and the confusion of my soul. I say 
to him : " Reverend friend, can you direct me into 
the path of salvation ? Can you calm this agitated 
breast ? Can you infuse into my poor, distracted soul, 
hope and security ? I wish to become a Christian, but 
know not which denomination to join." My Presby- 
terian friend assures me he can give tranquillity to my 
mind. "Join my church," he continues, " and you will 
find rest for your soul. You will then be a Christian 
and a child of God." But nervous investigation has 
made me doubtful and inquisitive ; and I beg of him 
to give me some proofs of his ability to guide me to 
God. He speaks to me of God, of the necessity of my 
becoming a Christian, of the admonitions of St. Paul, 
and tells me he conducted many on their journey to 
heaven. I ask him how, and inquire what is the nature 
of his chart. He shows it to me, explains it to me, 
and affirms that thereon are the principles of salvation. 
But I noticed a divergence of lines from different 
points. Though in search of religion, I am not entirely 
ignorant of the things about me, and I inquire : what 
do these branch lines indicate ? He answers : " These 
are the result of the underlying principle of Protest- 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 195 

antism — private judgment. We glory in the freedom 
of the intellect. Everyone ought to read the Bible 
and judge for himself. There is no bondage in specu- 
lation among Protestants." — "Ah, I see," is my reply. 
'' These diverging lines indicate the First Presbyterian 
Church, and the Second Presbyterian Church, and the 
United Presbyterian Church, and the Reformed Presby- 
terian Church, and so on. Here, I observe, is where 
you began about three centuries ago. Since then you 
have divided and subdivided often. All this seems 
strange to me. I thought divine truth is something 
like mathematical truth— unchangeable ; but I discern 
there is much misunderstanding expressed by your 
chart. Yet are you sure you can lead me safely ? " He 
declares he can — that I shall be secure with him. You 
cannot make a mistake about this matter ? I ask. "Not 
any," is his answer. Then you can direct me infallibly 
in all spiritual difficulties, I urge. " Oh, no ; not in- 
fallibly — we do not claim infallibility. That's a fool- 
ish claim. It is used as a disguise to mislead men and 
abuse their credulity." — " Then you may err after all," 
I surmised. " After all my anxiety and hope, I am as 
perplexed as before. I shall reflect upon what you say, 
and shall continue to investigate." 

I am dissatisfied. I seek for an unerring guide. I 
call upon a Methodist divine. My misgivings and my 
solicitude to reach my heavenly home, are frankly laid 
before him. He avers that in his religion I shall find 
consolation and safety. But, I remark : " Reverend, 
friend, it is natural that I would be somewhat skeptical ; 
I have not been reared a Christian. I have read con- 
siderable, and have weighed, and think I weighed, the 
religious question carefully. The consequence is that 
instead of becoming satisfied, I have grown more trou^ 



196 FEAST OF PENTECOST. 

bled. Will you be so kind as to tell me your authority, 
and give me some guarantee of my security in your 
church ? " He takes the Bible ; tells me that this is his 
guide ; that it contains the precepts of salvation. I 
thoughtlessly inquire how he knows it possesses the 
maxims of religion. '* Why, you silly man," he replies, 
this is the word of God." This caustic answer nettles 
me somewhat, and awakens in me a propensity to differ. 
" Where did you get the Bible ? " I continue. " Where 
did I get it ? Why I bought it, to be sure." — " Pardon 
me," I respond ; but what is its origin? who is the 
author ? " — " Why, God is the author, and it contains the 
revealed mind of God." — " But you did not get it from 
God, did you ? Methodism is only about one hundred 
and fifty years old, and I understand it is some nineteen 
centuries since Christ preached. Who had the Bible 
before the beginning of Methodism ? Where was it 
kept ? " — " Ah, it was kept hidden by the Popish 
Church for many ages, until Protestantism restored it to 
its lawful place among all Christians." — " Ah, I see you 
got it from the Catholics. They were not so bad after 
all ; they might have destroyed it entirely. It is a 
wonder they didn't, since it appears its teachings are 
antagonistic to Popery." 

"You teach from the Bible; but you will excuse 
rne when I say that it always has seemed strange to 
me, that all religious denominations teach from the 
Bible, and yet they differ with each other. In Method- 
ism you have various divisions or churches. Is not 
this strange? Will you please explain this difficulty to 
me? " — "This is due to our capacity to judge for our- 
selves," he responded. "In the dark ages of Popery, 
all were obliged to believe as Romanism dictated. 
Man was a slave. Protestantism opened a new era of 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 197 

thought. It dispelled the gloom of superstition and 
idolatry. It made man free." — ** Made man free?" 
I subjoined. " Yes," he replied ; " made man free ; 
gave freedom of thought to his intellect, and permitted 
him to investigate as far as he pleased." — "A part 
of this appears incredible to me," I answered, " for I 
think a man is not always free to think as he pleases. 
You are not free to think that two and two make five, 
nor are you free to maintain that a right angle is more 
or less than ninety degrees. And this is true of all 
mathematics. I always was under the impression that 
divine truth must be similar. If God has spoken, He 
must have uttered the truth ; and that truth once 
known, it cannot be rejected by the intellect. The 
intellect is not free, according to its own laws and 
existence ; it is not free to say the false is true and the 
true is false." 

He was perplexed at this, but resumed the dialogue 
by saying, that the Bible is the word of God and 
the only means of salvation. I asked him whether 
there was any danger of his being led astray in his 
interpretation of the Bible. " None whatever," was 
his answer. Then I intimated that he taught the 
Bible with mathematical correctness ; or in other 
words, he taught infallibly. " No," was his laconic 
reply. "We are not infallible. Infallibility is a doc- 
trine of Romanism to enslave the intellectual faculties, 
to prevent investigations, to cloak hypocrisy, to hide 
errors, and promote priest-craft ; — no, we have none of 
that abomination." In place of tranquillity, I was be- 
coming more disturbed. Here was a man Vv'ho claimed 
he did teach infallibly, and at the same time argued 
he did not teach infallibly. Well, I thought to myself, 
I shall make a call upon popery. It will be a means 



198 tEAST OF PENTECOST. 

or investigation, and at worst, matters cannot be more 
confused with me. 

I set out in quest of the guide claiming infallibility. 
I meet her. She is venerable from age, but the vigor 
of youth is upon her brow. I speak to her of the 
feverishness of my brain and of the anxiety of my 
heart. I beg of her to counsel me, if she is able. She 
replies : " My child, faith is a gift from God. You must 
ask Him for this blessing. Prayer, alms-deeds, and 
fasting are the channels through which you can appeal 
to Him. I shall instruct you at your leisure, and shall 
pray that God may impart to you this great gift of faith. 
After you are instructed, should you then decline to 
become a Catholic, I shall entertain for you only the 
fondest feelings of charity, and shall ever pray for you. 
You are now perplexed with doubt, but with God's help, 
divine faith will banish these doubts, and in their place 
the peace of God will reign." You do not respect the 
Bible, I interrupted. To this she answered : " I have 
ever guarded the Bible as a sacred trust, and carefully 
observed that every Catholic regarded it as the inspired 
revelations of God to man. It is useless for us to 
enter into a discussion upon this topic. All I ask of you 
is to study carefully and unbiasedly my history and the 
present religious agitations, and decide for yourself." 
" But I understand you are opposed to investigations 
and speculations of every kind." — " My child," she 
answered, kindly, "one truth cannot contradict another 
truth. The God of the Sacred Scriptures is the God 
of the physical universe. There can be no contradic- 
tion between His verbal revelation and the revelation 
of His greatness in the material world. The God of 
one is the God of the other, and there can be no 
discrepancy in His works. A Catholic is at liberty to 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 199 

investigate every phenomenon of Nature and speculate 
upon their causes and study their effects. He is not free, 
however, to deny or abuse the truth ; but when you come 
for instruction, we can have more of this." I was still 
solicitous to hear her farther, and asked: " Do you claim 
to be infallible?" — " Yes," was her prompt response, " it 
could not be otherwise. God has designed it thus. 
Read my commission : Go ye therefore and teach all 
nations, baptizing them i?i the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost:' (Math, xxviii.— 19.) " He 
that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved ; but he that 
believeth not, shall be condemned!' (Mark xvi. — 16.) 
Again : " But the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost whom the 
Father will send in My name. He zvill teach you all things!' 
" And behold, lam with you all days, even to the consummation 
of the world!' (Math, xxviii. — 20.) I was astonished 
at this array of evidence, but she assured me that this 
was only a part of her commission. I said then, since 
you are infallible, it follows that you are an unerring 
guide? This was her answer : " For nineteen hun- 
dred years I have led the human race ; I still do lead it, 
and will ever lead it ; for I am commissioned by my 
Divine Master to conduct mankind to Him. I have 
watc^ied over the cradle of my people. I have regener- 
ated them in baptism. I have strengthened them ; yea, 
and at the bedside of the dying I have stood, fortify- 
ing them with the sacraments entrusted to me by my 
Lord and Master. At the threshold of death I have 
consigned them to the loving care of their Creator and 
mine. For nineteen hundred years I have taught the 
same doctrine and obeyed the same commission. 
Political, civil, and religious storms have beat upon 
me ; but I have not changed the truths deposited with 
me ; and I have outlived the storms, and from every 



200 FEAST OF PENTECOST. 

assault I have come forth stronger and more influen- 
tial. Yes, unerringly I conduct my people from the 
cradle to their God. It could not be otherwise. My 
instructions are from Jesus, and my commission is 
signed by Him." 

Now, my Christian friends, were I in search of re- 
ligion, which do you think I should take ? Which 
would you take ? Do you not think we would be very 
imprudent were we not to select the old Church? 
For my part, examining religion seriously, yet fairly 
and without prejudice, I could not accept any but the 
Catholic Church. But you will say to me : " That is 
all very well ; but the Catholic Church is subtle in her 
deliberations, crafty in her management, and false in 
her teachings." Pardon me, but be not so hasty. 
Note the words of our Divine Lord : " He that believeth 
a?id is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth 7iot, 
shall be coiidemned!' He that believeth, — he that 
believeth what ? The false, the deceitful, the mislead- 
ing ? No ; the truth ! But we are told that the 
Catholic Church teaches the false, that she is crafty 
and deceptive! But mark: ''He that believeth not^ 
shall be co7idemnedy Observe the condemnation. Jesus 
commands the Catholic Church to teach, and He 
declares : ''He that believeth not, shall be condemned'' 
If he does not believe what ? The doctrines of the 
Catholic Church ! Jesus demands, therefore, that 
everyone shall believe the doctrines taught by the 
Catholic Church. Under what penalty ? The penalty 
on condemnation. But can Jesus make this demand 
on persons to believe the false ? By no means. There- 
fore the Catholic Church teaches the truth. It is to 
no purpose to say that there are other churches : for 
during fifteen centuries there was no other Church, 



FEAST OF PENTECOST. 201 

and during all this time, too, the command of Jesus to 
the Church to teach, and for all to believe, was bind- 
ing. It is unnecessary to repeat or multiply proofs. 
The truth is evident, that, if Jesus is God, the Catholic 
Church is the only ark of salvation, and all are obliged 
to obey her in things spiritual. 

In the presence of these facts, it is folly to say one 
church is as good as another. This assertion maintains 
that God is inconsistent and contradictory ; that He 
acts without a definite system ; that He has no order 
in the management of His affairs : for the various 
religious denominations are multiplying in variety, and 
are at variance with one another in doctrine. One 
denys what another holds to be true. Is there divine 
economy in this turbulent state of feverish and contra- 
dictory religious opinion ? A careful person would 
not tolerate in his temporal affairs, so much conten- 
tion. Are we to presume that God approves what 
human reason rejects ? 

Should not every Protestant, in justice to himself 
and in obedience to God, give this matter his impartial 
consideration ? Is it not a question which requires 
calm, unbiased reflection ? Will it injure our Protest- 
ant friends to examine an affair of so far-reaching 
importance ? To ponder it over in their minds, will 
be an acknowledgment to God that they are willing 
to do His holy will, and follow whithersoeverthe Good 
Shepherd leads. May God grant us ever the grace of 
faith, and may every non-Catholic kindly and im- 
partially weigh the history and the doctrines of the 
Catholic Church ! 



TRINITY SUNDAY. 



Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations; baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
(St. Math, xxviii. — 19.) 

My Dear Friends: This text naturally leads us to 
consider the stupendous mystery of the Holy Trinity. 
Though we cannot solve the mysteries of our holy 
religion, it may be profitable to dwell upon them from 
time to time. You should not be disturbed in mind, 
because you cannot grasp these hidden things of God. 
Nor should you think your religion difficult because 
you cannot find an easy solution for the secrets of 
heaven. If you ponder a moment upon inanimate 
nature, you will find that there are mysteries in the 
natural order as well as in the supernatural. On all 
sides you will find yourself baffled. Physical sciences 
contain an analysis and history of many natural phenom- 
ena ; but there is a voice in Nature which says : " So far 
you may come, and no farther." By means of scien- 
tific research, Nature has been extensively explored and 
wonderful discoveries made ; still, what is known com- 
pared with what is not known, is as a drop of water to 
the ocean. Besides, there are secrets in physical 
nature which will ever remain so. For example, you 
may know something about the effects of electricity 

202 



TBINITY SUNDAY. 203. 

and gravitation, but who has seen these forces, or who 
can analyze their substance? 

In regard to the Blessed Trinity, it will be my pur- 
pose not to confuse you, but to be as clear as possible. 
It may be well to say here that many people have denied 
the existence of the Three Divine Persons in one essence. 
The Jews did not believe in the Trinity, nor do they 
at the present day, as you are aware. The Arians, in 
the fourth century, refused to believe in the divinity 
of the Second Person, our Divine Lord. The Moham- 
medans reject the Second Person, and are therefore 
not Christians. The same can be said of the Unitarians. 
Many philosophers of modern times have spurned the 
notion that three divine persons can co-eternally exist 
in one God. All these have depended upon the com- 
prehensions of their own reason — measuring the infinite 
wisdom of God by their finite intellects ; striving to place 
Him under their microscopes ; endeavoring to analyze 
what their poor feeble powers cannot grasp. N o wonder 
they failed. They were like a child with its tip-toes 
on the earth, trying to touch the stars with its hand. 
In their forgetfulness, and probably their pride, they 
attempted to assail heaven and penetrate the secrets 
of the Most High. They would have their dictum to 
be the law of heaven and the explanations of that 
law. What they cannot understand is false, and what 
is beyond their ken, has no existence. Forcibly has 
Alexander Pope addressed this class of men in the 
following lines: 

" O sons of earth I attempt ye still to rise 
By mountains piled on mountains to the skies? 
Heaven still with laughter, the ruin toil surveys, 
And buries madmen in the heaps they raise." 

You may think that it is very disagreeable, that man's 



204 TRINITY SUNDAY. 

knowledge is so circumscribed. Why did not God 
create us with a knowledge of all these things. In the 
first place, God could not endow us with faculties to 
know all things: for then He would, in the supposition, 
have us equal to Himself. This is impossible. You 
know there can be only one Infinite Being. So you un- 
derstand that although you may be blessed with eternal 
happiness with God, there will ever be things beyond 
your comprehension. Again, for us on earth, I can see a 
great blessing in our ignorance. Did we know every- 
thing, then we would have nothing to learn. We 
would be indolent in realms of knowledge. We would 
not study, because there would not be anything to 
learn. What would have become of the vast army of 
men who in every age devoted their time in delving 
into the secrets of Nature and soaring to the throne of 
God. They drew their intense happiness from their 
intellectual pursuits, and their discoveries were their 
reward. Age after age has honored them. Their 
names are written indelibly upon the monuments of 
progress and discovery, while their memories stimu- 
late others to earnest, honest effort. Moreover, rob 
man of labor, and you deprive him of heavenly merit. 
The scientist who patiently applies himself to research 
and offers his toil to God, will receive a recompense 
for his labors in the kingdom of Infinite Wisdom. 
Without going farther in this line of thought, let us 
agree with the poet : 

" Then say not man is imperfect, heaven is in fault ; 
Say rather man is as perfect as he ought ; 
His knowledge measured to his state and place, 
His time a moment, and a point his space." 

My Christian friends, there is no difficulty in proving 
from the Sacred Scriptures the existence of the Most 



TBINITY SUNDAY. , 205 

Holy Trinity, while the Church in every age has taught 
this doctrine. In the Old Testament in the Book of Gen., 
i. — 26, we read of God contemplating the creation of 
man. He says, as if taking council with the other Per- 
sons of the Trinity. '^Let us make man to our own image 
and likeness^ Here you will notice more than one 
person is meant. For the word us is in the plural num- 
ber. You will note, too, that the word image is in the 
singular number, which denotes not a plurality of gods, 
as the image is common to all. Again in Gen. xi., we 
learn that after the Deluge the Israelites wished to build 
a tower which would reach to heaven. In verse 7 of this 
chapter, the Lord says: ''Come ye, therefore, let us go down, 
and there confound their tongue, that they may 7iot under- 
stand one a?iother's speech'' You easily perceive that 
here also more than one person is embraced in the 
words ye and us. That more than two persons can be 
understood of this expression, is clear from the Latin 
word veiiite. The Latin expression is : Venite^ decenda- 
mus et co7ifu7idamus linguam eorum. Were only one 
other person addressed, the Latin word would be veni, 
not veinte. 

Without dwelling longer on the passages from the 
Old Testament, from which evidence of the Blessed 
Trinity may at least be deduced, let us cull a few from 
the New Testament. In the Gospel according to St. 
John, xiv. — 16, we have, upon the veracity of the Son 
of God, the declaration of the mystery of the Blessed 
Trinity. "/ will ask the Father, and He shall give 
you another Paraclete, that He may abide with you 
forever!' Here the Son, the Second Person, speaks of 
the Father and the Holy Ghost. According to the 
same inspired writer, xv. — 26, Christ is represented, 
saying : " But when the Paraclete shall come, whom. 



206 TRINITY SUNDAY. 

/ will send you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, 
who proceedeth from the Father, He shall give testi- 
mo?iy of Me'' The text which I quoted as the subject 
of these remarks proves the same thing. " Go forth 
and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost'' 
In this text we have evidence of the equality of the 
Persons of the Trinity. It does not say to baptize in 
the name of one of the Persons, but in the name of the 
Three Persons. " And those who believe and are bap- 
tized, shall be saved. Their sins shall be forgiven 
them. But it requires the power of God to release a 
soul from the bondage of sin, and, moreover, it would 
be wrong to ascribe this pwoer to anyone except God. 
But the Son of God, in His instructions to the Apostles, 
commands baptism to be administered in the name of 
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. 
He therefore declares each one to be equal to the 
other. Observe, the text does not say in the names of 
the Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost, but in the name : 
thus expressing the Trinity of persons and the oneness 
of the essence. St. Johns i, Ep. v. — 7., is lucid in 
these words: ''There are Three that give testimony 
i?i Heave?!, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, 
and these Three are One." 

Now let us reflect briefly on what light reason 
may give us in the elucidation of the mystery of the 
Most Holy Trinity. You have all doubtlessly heard 
how St. Patrick taught the ancient inhabitants of Ireland 
the mystery of the Trinity. He took a shamrock, 
showed them how each leaf was equal to the other, all 
constituting one and co-existing in the same substance. 
Some have made use of an equilateral triangle to 
explain the same mystery. According to the definition 



TBINITY SUNDAY. 207 

of such a figure, the angles and sides are equal to each 
other, but all form only one triangle and constitute 
only one essence. These examples enlighten us 
somewhat ; but the illustration which best elucidates, 
is found in the sun, the centre of our solar system. 
In the sun we find three forces : light, heat, and 
gravitation, existing mysteriously in one substance. 
God is infinite. The sun approaches the infinite, 
because its influence is felt in the most remote parts 
of the universe. God is omnipotent ; so is the sun 
with regard to all material substances ; for there is not 
an atom of matter in all creation which is not effected 
by its power. In God there are three distinct persons : 
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. In the sun 
we have three distinct forces : light, heat, and gravita- 
tion ; but existing in a wonderful manner in one 
substance. Deny the existence of one person of the 
Blessed Trinity, and you deny the Blessed Trinity. 
Destroy one of these solar forces, and you destroy the 
sun. God is eternal. Who can measure the age and 
destiny of the sun. 

In speaking of the Blessed Trinity, we say God the 
Father created man, God the Son redeemed him, and 
God the Holy Ghost enlightens and sanctifies him. 
In regard to physical nature, we find a corresponding 
power in the sun. The heat of the sun, if it does not 
create, produces life, according to the hypothesis that 
all animate nature has sprung from the protoplasm. 
It follows that all life was generated by the heat of 
the sun. But tliough you may not accept this theory, 
you cannot well deny that millions of insects owe 
their life to this beneficent influence. Again, God the 
Son redeemed mankind. In a manner peculiar to 
itself, the light of the sun redeems all Nature on the 



208 TRINITY SUNDAY. 

face of the earth. For without the light of the sun 
every living thing would die. It is constantly bringing 
it forth from what it was, and sustaining it in what it is. 
For without the light of the sun, no vegetation could 
live ; and if no vegetation, no animal life ; and no 
animal life, no man. The Holy Ghost enlightens and 
sanctifies ; that is, He illumines the intellect, directs 
its powers, sustains an order or system in the soul 
pleasing to Himself. Gravitation in the universe 
regulates the motions of the heavenly bodies, sustains 
them in their harmony, and directs all according to 
fixed laws. It need not be added that we are powerfully 
under its influence. Now, as the Three Persons of God 
are each the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, and 
one could not effect anything without the others, so, 
too, you cannot separate the influence of these three 
forces one from another, in the effects mentioned. 

Again, as God and the Blessed Trinity are mysteries 
incomprehensible to the human intellect, so are these 
forces. Each one is a natural mystery in itself, and also 
a mystery in their common existence in one substance. 
For while you may know something about the laws of 
light, heat, and gravitation, formulated by scientists, 
you know absolutely nothing of the substance of these 
forces. You may say that gravitation attracts in 
proportion to the density of objects, and inversely, in 
proportion to the square of the distance. Also, that 
light is a mode of molicular motion, etc.; but of the 
forces themselves, you are ignorant. 

Now, who has given to the sun these forces ? Who 
has created this sphere, endowmg it with such wonder- 
ful attributes ? God, you answer. You are correct, I 
add. But as God can endow a material substance with 
such powers and such inscrutable secrets, can He not 



TEINITY SUNDAY. 209 

exist in a more mysterious manner Himself. Is not 
the eternal, all-wise Architect of the universe greater 
than His works ? Is not the designer always grander 
than the designed ? If we are puzzled by the mysteries 
of the things created by Him, can we expect to fathom 
the depths of His own nature and being. As we believe 
in the existence of gravitation from its effects, though 
we do not see it, let us look out upon the universe and 
believe in the Blessed Trinity, the God and the 
Creator of not only the visible universe, but also of the 
invisible. 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



And they began all at ojice to make excuse. (Luke xiv. — 
i8.) 

My Dear Friends : Your attention is called this 
morning to a great man who made a feast and invited 
many to join him at the banquet. When his resourses 
are amply employed, when all things are prepared, he 
sends forth his servants to announce to those who had 
been invited that all things were ready — that they should 
come and partake of his generosity. He extends them 
a hearty welcome ; but lo! they refuse. They are en- 
gaged in other pursuits. They have no time to show 
their appreciation for his kindness ; they ignore his 
friendship and begin to make excuses. But the master 
of the house is not to be trifled with. His feast must 
be attended. His banquet must not be in vain. So he 
sends out his servants into the by-ways, the streets, and 
the thoroughfares, that his house may be filled. 

It is needless to tell you that this distinguished 
person is none else than Jesus Himself, and the feast of 
which he speaks, the Holy Eucharist. He invites all 
to participate in this adorable banquet. He gives Him- 
self for their nourishment. He exhausts His goodness; 
for what more can He do than give Himself to be the 
sustenance of mortals. But these make excuses. They 
do not desire His stupendous favors. They prefer the 
things of this world. Pleasures and amusements, sin 

210 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 211 

and evil associates, engross their attention and occupy 
their time. Catholics admit His generosity, they 
admire His charity ; they praise His love for the 
human race, — but when they are invited to partake of 
this extraordinary feast, some have no time ; or, rather, 
they are imbued with passion, steeped in sin, enveloped 
in business. Time for everything. Time for indul- 
gence in pleasure, time for excesses in eating and 
drinking, time for their own destruction, time even into 
late in the night or early in the morning to insult God ; 
but no time to acknowledge God's invitation, no time 
to be present at that banquet at which angels adore. 

This delinquency on the part of Catholics is the 
source of many of their disorders. How can they 
be practical Catholics ? How can they be honest — 
honest to themselves, honest to their family, honest to 
their neighbors, and honest to their God, when they do 
not nourish their souls with the divine food adminis- 
tered at the banquet of the Saviour of mankind ? Such 
are not honest. There are many proofs of their 
dishonesty to be found in the experience of every- 
day life. 

A father comes to me ; he says : " I cannot do any- 
thing with my son. He was once a good boy, worked 
hard, assisted me in providing for the family. Now he 
runs with a bad gang. He is out late at night. He 
drinks, is quarrelsome, and I fear he may meet with an un- 
timely end." I ask this broken-hearted father : *' When 
did your ill-directed boy receive Holy Communion last?" 
'* Oh, he has not made his Easter duty in three or four 
years," is the sad reply. This accounts for his change 
of conduct. This is proof of the efficacy of the most 
holy sacrament of the altar. When he approached this 
sacred feast at reasonable intervals, he was good, and 



212 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

his father was happy. Now he refuses the invitation ; 
consequently he is a scamp, and his father is wretched. 

A distracted mother complains : " My daughter is 
going to the bad. She keeps company with the most 
vile characters. Since she went from under my roof, 
no good has come of her. She is pert, disobedient, and 
giddy. Infamous rumors are afloat about her, and no 
wonder ; for her associates are numbered among the 
licentious and wicked. I am afraid she will meet a bad 
end, that she will bring ruin upon herself and disgrace 
upon us all." Ask the mother whether her wayward 
daughter frequents the sacraments, and her answer 
will be : " Ah, the sacraments ! She does not think of 
them. She does not go to Church. I have begged of 
her to go to Communion, but she only laughed at me. 
For my entreaties, I got sneers ; for my prayers, I got 
contempt. She is beyond the influence of prayer ; she 
cares not for my tears ; she despises God. She is mad ! 
She has no shame, no respect, no decency ! " 

Ah! what a change since she received first Holy Com- 
munion. She was an angel then, pure and happy in 
the simplicity of her childhood. She loved her parents, 
and they idolized her. Her heart aspired to the good. 
Every emotion was angelic. What misfortune has 
blighted her life ? Why did she barter a life of inno- 
cence and peace for one of sin and misery ? Slowly 
her affections were turned from the tabernacle in which 
her Saviour lived. Gradually she forgot Him Who is 
the preserver of innocence and the sustenance of the soul. 
From the moment she severed her attachment to the 
Blessed Eucharist, her course was downward and her 
heart corrupt. 

A husband chides his wife. She is continually in her 
neighbor's house, instead of attending to her own busi- 



SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 213 

ness. Her children have no care. They are running 
wild. In dirty and bad company, they spend their time. 
Home is neglected. Bad example is given by the 
very one who should be the guardian of the family. 
Sometimes she may drink. The house is ever in con- 
fusion. No order, no cleanliness, no propriety. What 
is the cause ? You need hardly be told. This woman 
does not go to church on Sunday. She does not receive 
Holy Communion regularly. She has much to say 
unfavorably of those who go to Mass. Hertonguenever 
ceases to deride others. It is like a gattling gun. She 
minds everyone's business but her own. What will 
become of her family ? Will they be instructed ? Will 
the children be pious and devoted recipients of the 
Blessed Sacrament? Will the child be better than the 
mother ? But why is she thus ? The same answer 
must be given. She has no love for Our Lord in the 
Sacrament of the Altar ; perhaps she never did have. 
Her husband and her family are indeed to be pitied. 

Somebody's wife calls upon me. She is distressed 
and forlorn — a picture of misery — haggard, thin, and 
poorly clad. I need not ask her what is wrong ! Her 
very presence convinces me that she has a drunken 
husband. '' My heart is broken from him," she sobs. 
" He was once a good man. When we were first mar- 
ried, he was sober, worked hard, and saved some money. 
After a time sickness came, and death, too. He became 
discouraged, blamed me for what I was not guilty of, or 
could not help. He took to drinking. He would stay 
out late at night playing cards. Often he would lose. 
Then he would drink and come home, break the furni- 
ture and dishes, scold and quarrel with us. Often have I 
begged of himtoremainathome,to be the good husband 
and father that he once was. Sometimes he trvs ; but 



214 SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

they come and ask him out, and then he is as bad as 
ever. If you could only get him to go to church. If 
he would take the pledge, I know he would be good 
again." Yea, my dear friends, there is something more 
needed. To take the pledge is good, but to keep it is 
better. How can this unfortunate man gain what he 
has lost ? How can he again avoid temptations, and 
bring joy to his own heart and that of his family? By 
receiving Holy Communion worthily. The man or the 
woman, the son or daughter, who worthily partakes of 
the feast which Jesus prepares for him or her, cannot 
be bad. The moment you see any person becoming 
careless in this manner, that moment beware of him or 
her. No one is to be trusted who does not with a 
contrite. Christian soul strengthen himself against 
temptation by receiving frequently Holy Communion. 
This is the nourishment of the Catholic soul. This is a 
proof of his honesty and his sincerity, of his fidelity 
and his industry. A Catholic who does not accept the 
generous invitation of our Divine Lord to participate at 
His feast, is a Catholic in whom I have no confidence ; 
is a Catholic whom I would not trust ; is a Catholic in 
whom there is something wrong : for he cannot turn 
his back on his God ; he cannot violate those precepts 
which must necessarily fashion his conduct ; he cannot 
break away from a safe mooring, — without endanger- 
himself and others, and proving that he is a bad 
Catholic and a perverted man. 

Listen, then, to the voice of God's servant asking you 
to His banquet. Do not make excuses. Do not say, 
the next week or the next month, lest Jesus may say 
to you, that you will never again taste of His feast. 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



Now the Publicans and si?iners dj^ew near unto Him to hear 
Him. And the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying : 
This man receiveth sinners and eateth tvith them. (Luke xv. — 

1,2.) 

My Dear Friends : In the words just read to you 
from the Sacred Scriptures, you might have noted an 
example of the kind condescension of our Divine Lord. 
The Publicans a?id sinners drew near to hear Him. He 
does not order them away, He does not look upon them 
with the eye of scorn, but permits them to come near 
Him. The Son of God speaks with sinners. He fells 
them that He loves them. His sacred words find ready 
entrance to their hearts. They are awakened by His 
tender remarks. The wickedness of sin is depicted in a 
sad but kindly manner. Its consequences are deplored 
in eloquent pathos. Repentance is encouraged ; nay, 
more, heaven rejoices at the conversion of a single 
sinner. 

But the Pharisees and the Scribes murmur. There 
are always some fault-finders. They would have the 
bystanders consider them shocked at the conduct of 
our Saviour. He pretends to teach the way to heaven, 
but behold ! He converses with sinners and eats with 
them. His actions contradict His teachings. He must 
be just, as they are. Birds of the same feather flock 

215 



216 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

together, and they wink significantly. The poet's 

(Pope's) lines are- quite applicable to them : 

" All seem infected that the infected spy, 
As all look yellow to the jaundiced eye." 

All sinners may be divided into two great classes : the 
repentant and the unrepentant. These classes have 
their types at the Crucifixion. The repentant thief 
implores his God for mercy. " Remember me when 
You come to Your kingdom." The other blasphemes, 
is insulting, is impervious to the grace of God, and dies 
as he lived. As in the days when Our Lord taught the 
Publicans and sinners ; so to-day there still exists the 
repentant and the unrepentant sinner. The latter 
boasts of his crimes. These are his laurels. He de- 
lights to recount the things which destroyed the true 
imaged of God in his soul. Vile company, vile resorts, 
furnish the debasing joy of his degraded heart. His 
intellect is impoverished, his heart plundered, his health 
destroyed. Friends are praying for him. They search 
him out. They plead with him. They urge every 
argument likely to withdraw him from the paths of sin ; 
they offer every incentive likely to arouse a noble 
ambition. Even a departed mother or father is invoking 
the throne of God in his behalf. The most affectionate 
appeals are made, and God permits these to reach the 
sinner's heart through the channels of His mercy and 
His grace. But the hardened heart refuses to yield. 
It would be cowardice to withdraw. It would be weak- 
ness to leave those haunts of sin and those companions 
of crime. No; his ambition is destruction — the destruc- 
tion of himself, the destruction of others, the destrution 
of the time-honored respect of his family. Father, 
mother, sister, and brother may weep and pray, but he 
heeds them not. They may bow their heads in shame ; 



THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 217 

but emboldened by his excesses, he carries his head 
erect, defying for a time, God, man, and the devil. The 
day will come, however, when he must die — and die as 
he had lived. 

The repentant sinner, on the other hand, yields to the 
inspirations of divine grace. Our Saviour touches the 
flinty heart, and the waters of repentance burst forth. 
In the silence of his breaking heart, in the depths of 
his bitter remorse, he pleads for mercy : " Father of 
heaven, have pity on me ! I crave for pardon ! I have 
transgressed your laws, I have spurned your graces, 
but forgive me now. I was weak and passion was 
strong. I fell, alas, I fell ! Sacred Heart, pardon me! " 
Our Divine Lord lifts him up kindly, breathes words of 
encouragement into his soul, presses him to His Sacred 
Heart ; tells him : " Never mind the past. My child. 
My heart bleeds affectionately for you. Never again 
will I remember your transgressions. They shall never 
be a reproach to you. They are forgotten forever. 
Henceforth we shall be friends." The sinner rejoices 
in the peace which he finds. His heart expands under 
the influence of divine grace. He thought sin lay 
through walks bedecked with flowers. He was disap- 
pointed. He only found thorns. 

Some Catholics are standing by. They observe that 
Jesus is speaking with the sinner ; that the latter has 
changed his manner of living ; and instead of rejoicing 
at the poor sinner's conversion, they make unfavorable 
comment. They criticise his past life. They speak 
unkindly of him, and take pains tliat he may learn their 
unjust criticisms. They seem to think that no one has 
a right to go to church but themselves, that none are 
good but themselves. By their actions they would 
impress you with the notion that they believe the poor, 



'218 THIRD SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 

heart-broken sinner should be allowed no place but hell. 
They are astonished at the presumption of our Divine 
Lord. He should not hold converse with a sinner, nor 
eat with him. Why, the example is disedifying, is 
scandalous. How can Catholics boast of their faith, 
when its Founder, Jesus Christ, ventures to talk with 
sinners. He makes little of Himself, and us, too. 

The contrite soul feels these piercing shafts aimed 
and poisoned by those from whom he should receive 
hope and encourgement. Our Saviour takes him aside 
from the carping crowd, from the pharisaical Catholics. 
He says to him : " Pay no attention to those wicked 
tongues. Be not discouraged. The angels of My 
Eternal Kingdom rejoice at the sincerity of your heart. 
I am your friend. I shall not only speak with you 
and eat with you, but I shall feed you with My own 
body and blood. I shall live in you. Your nourishment 
shall be the food of angels. Peace shall reign between 
you and Me. I shall place a covenant with you. Of 
old, I placed the rainbow in the heavens as a testimony 
of My covenant with the ancients, that I would never 
destroy the world again by water ; so now I place a 
covenant with you. As a sign of My friendship, behold 
Me in the tabernacle on the altar. I am there for you. 
When you are weak, come to Me. When uncharitable 
persons treat you unkindly, come, and tell Me your 
sorrows. When you are oppressed by cares and woes, 
I shall comfort you, and in the last moments of your 
earthly pilgrimage, I shall come to you. I shall raise 
you up, and you shall be eternally happy with Me." 

My dear friends, learn a lesson from your Saviour 
and your God. Speak with sinners, not to become per- 
verted, not to learn wickedness from them ; but to with- 
draw them from the avenues of sin, to assure them tliat 



THIKD SUNDAY AFTEB PENTECOST. 219 

God is good, and is willing to receive them once more 
into His friendship. Fathers and mothers, see to it that 
you talk with your children about the affairs of 
their salvation. Teach them by your example, that 
they may not abandon the ways of virtue. See that 
they are nourished by the sacraments which Jesus 
instituted for their peace and nourishment here, and as a 
ladder by which they can attain to an eternal reward 
with Him Who taught sinners. Let every pious 
Catholic exert his or her influence in bringing sinners 
to repentance. Encourage them, assist them, exhort 
them to avoid the bad and seek the good. Not by 
boasting of your own merits, not by extolling your- 
selves, while you depreciate others ; but kindly, gently 
lead them to the feet of Jesus, your Saviour and theirs. 
You shall thus be a blessing to society ; you shall thus 
be true children of the Church established by Christ 
for the conversion of sinners. And He will reward you 
for your Christian efforts. You shall lead many there- 
by to righteousness : " And those who lead many to 
justice shall shine like the stars for all eternity," 



FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



Master^ we have labored all nighty and have taken nothing, 
(St. Luke V. — 5.) 

My Dear Friends : You have here an example of 
men toiling all night without compensation. Luck, as 
some would say, was against them. They went to their 
boat in the evening with the hope of success. They 
probably calculated upon a rich reward, and planned 
what they would do with the money obtained from the 
sale of their fish. They labored all night ; their plans 
were frustrated by failure ; but they learned that some- 
thing else besides toil is necessary to profitable success. 
They learned that God's blessing is very useful even in 
the ordinary affairs of life. At the word of their Divine 
Master, they renewed their efforts, with prosperous 
results. Jesus was with them, and they toiled not in 
vain. 

Since that memorable morning, how many have been 
disappointed in their plans ! How many a heart has 
ached over failure ! How many a brain burned with the 
fever of opposition ! How many a disastrous cloud has 
lashed to ruin the glowing aspirations of youth ! How 
many a hoary head has gone down into the grave, weary 
of toil, but unrequited by prosperity ! Opposition, fail- 
ure, gloom, and despondency are the wedded partners 

220 



FOUBTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 221 

of many a soul. The reason ? To ascertain that would 
require the ability to sound the profoundest depths of 
human existence. Yet, there are explanations for many 
of the disasters of life ; and the chief one, the one which 
covers the greatest number of life's ills, is apparent in 
to-day's Gospel, — Jesus was not with them. 

Still, you should remember that all the ills of life are 
not disadvantageous. Sometimes you are tumbled 
down only to make you stronger to climb ; or by 
repeated tumbles, to teach you that you are trying to 
climb the wrong ladder. If you are under the protec- 
tion of heaven, the obstacles which block your way are 
tablets of instruction, and it would be well for you to 
stop to read and study them. Youth and even old age 
are not seldom on the wrong way. Especially is this 
true of youth. Led on by the scintillating prosperity 
of others, they think only of the dizzy heights to 
which others have attained. They weigh not their own 
capabilities, nor the sacrifices to be made, nor the road 
to be travelled with tortured brain and trouble heart, 
nor the ruins of ambition, health, chastity, and faith to 
be found everywhere along this road. They only look 
to the end of the journey, but never consider the cost 
required for reaching that destination, if indeed it were 
possible to make the journey. How many a Catholic 
youth has been shipwrecked in making this voyage ! 
They are spurred on by an unlaudable ambition ; they 
begin by discarding sound principles of conduct, indis- 
pensable ballast in the tempest of life. They next cast 
overboard their faith, the compass which would indicate 
their safe course, and which, in storm and doubt, would 
still remain true to them. They imagine they must 
pander to the whims and prejudices of other doctrines, 
and they soon become adept in their cringing, grovell- 



222 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

ing, contemptible sycophancy. If they succeed, they 
have bartered, for the acquisition of a bauble, every 
attribute of true manhood or womanhood, and in their 
so-called success, they find little to compensate them 
for their sleepless nights and painful days. If they 
fail — and this class usually fails — they have nothing 
but health impoverished, honor squandered, friendship 
auctioned to the highest bidder, their religion sold in 
the market place of scoff and hatred. Whether this 
class succeed or fail, they accomplish nothing — 
nothing when the end of life comes and the grave is 
opening to receive them, for Jesus was not with them. 
They had labored all flight and had taken 710 thing. 

To those who adhere to their faith, as the vine to the 
sturdy oak, I would say : read the characters engraven 
upon the obstacles in your way. God may intend you 
for another purpose. Your course is higher than the 
plane in which you move. He is speaking to you by 
means of these obstacles. Such strive to learn the 
will of God, and with this they are determinated to 
comply. If they ascend to the highest peaks of 
achievement and fame, they attribute their success 
to the Author of all good gifts. If adversity block 
his path, he turns with unfaltering faith to supplicate 
the throne of heaven for assistance. In every affair of 
life, good or evil, his reliance upon heaven is just the 
same. He toils with as much industry and effort 
as others, still he is always thanking God for His 
blessings and praying Him to be his friend in the time 
of need. In this manner, whether he succeed or fail, 
he is still laying up treasures in heaven. For him earth 
is only a transitory abode : at best a place of trial and 
suffering ; but beyond the grave his heart is fixed upon 
the celestial home created for him by a benign Father, 



FOUKTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 223 

Is he poor ? Then he offers to God the sweat of his 
honest brow — a noble offering. Is he rich ? Then 
by assisting the needy, he offers to God a portion of 
his wealth — a pleasing gift. Is he a scientist? Then 
he dedicates to his God the fruits of his intellectual 
labors. So you perceive how easy it is to render your 
actions fruitful to you here on earth and meritorious 
for heaven. Each day grants you, as it were, a coupon 
which increases your claims on heaven. 

Do not be idlers. Faithful labor bestows a contin- 
uous reward — contentment on earth and joy in eter- 
nity. Do not say with the laborers mentioned by the 
inspired writer : '' No one has hired us'' ; butbe up and will- 
ing to engage in any honest occupation. All earnest, 
useful labor is good. " Honor and shame from no con- 
dition rise ; act well your part ; there all the honor lies." 
Study yourselves first ; try to find out to what 
you are best adapted. Having discovered this, plod 
faithfully and incessantly onward. With the smile of 
heaven upon you, success must ultimately perch upon 
your banner. Be not discouraged by opposition. This 
usually makes the heart stronger, trains the will, dis- 
ciplines the intellect, equips a manor woman for greater 
usefulness and more brilliant enterprises. Many a rich 
man was a poor boy ; and many a notable scholar dis- 
played no great talent in early life. What was the 
secret of their success? My answer is, perseverance! 
Perseverance in the right direction led them on to the 
goal of their ambition ! They left behind them " foot- 
prints on the sands of time, " which tell us the only 
royal road to pre-eminence is unremitting, judicious toil. 
The one who has a willingness to participate in the 
world's great labor, possesses already stock which will 
declare a generous dividend, if only rightly employed. 



224 FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

How will you employ it ? By observing the laws of 
God and man. Do nothing that will bring dishonor 
upon yourself or others. Respect your word as you 
would your bond. Be a dutiful child of your holy 
Mother the Church. Never allow adversity to rob you 
of the courage of your soul, nor permit prosperity to 
make a fool out of you. Never forget the friends who 
stood by you in the trying hour of need. They were 
the dews that gave vigor to your parching hopes, and 
harvests to your famishing ambition. Forget them not. 
To do so bespeaks a little mind, a miser's soul, a niggard- 
ly heart. Let not the flattery of opulence, nor the glory 
of achievements, nor the grandeur of your acquirements, 
absolve you of your allegiance to your creed. The 
avenues of prosperity are dangerous places ! Beware 
of them ! Desert your God, and all your greatness is 
nothing ! You have'bartered heaven for temporal advan- 
tages ! You are a sycophant, a craven, to sell your God 
for transitory treasures ; and your fatal mistake will stare 
you in the face at the last moments of your ill-spent 
life, if not before that awful hour ! 

'* Without Me you can do nothing!' says Almighty God. 
Nothing meritorious for salvation. Then in all your 
efforts, have the approbation of heaven. In prosperity 
you will then manifest wisdom ; in adversity you will 
not be overwhelmed by any disaster. When friends are 
false, you have a Friend in heaven. In all the fickle- 
ness of life, you are constant in your fidelity to Almighty 
God. In your ill fortune He will not desert you. Offer 
the first fruits of your labor to Him. Place your under- 
takings under His protection. In the morning, offer 
your toil to Him. At evening, thank Him for His 
assistance ; then when the end of life comes, you will 
not say : " Master, ivehave labored but have taken nothing."" 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



For I say to you ^ that ujiless your Justice abound more than 
that of the Scribes and Pharisees^ you shall not enter into 
the kingdom of heaven . (Matt. v. — 20.) 

My Dear Friends : It is not my purpose this morning 
to describe the conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
nor comment upon their injustice. The earth is aoitated 
by injustice — the injustice of the employer on the one 
hand and the employed on the other. The injustice 
perpetrated in our courts, where justice should reign. 
The poor are punished excessively, the opulent are 
often unjustly exonerated. Injustice stalks boldly 
through the land, and is often approved, while justice is 
despised. But we do not wish to dwell upon this 
lamentable state of affairs. There is another subject 
suggested by our text, to which we desire to direct 
your attention, and which is even more important to 
you. It is the lack of justice wanting in parents 
toward their children. In considering this defect, we 
shall confine our remarks to this parish. The care of 
your children is largely entrusted to me; I shall therefore 
restrict my remarks to you, that you may know how 
your conduct and that of your children appear to me ; 
and having thus viewed yourselves in the mirror of my 
words, you may in the future co-operate more effect- 

335 



2'26 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 

ually with me in the promotion of your children's 
temporal and spiritual advancement. 

There are some parents belonging to this parish who 
concern themselves very little about their children. 
Instead of teaching good, they inculcate, b}' their 
example, evil into the souls of their little ones. They 
are the worst enemies of their children. Though I 
have exhorted you time and again ; though I have, 
besought you to send your children to instruction ; by 
some fatal obstinacy you persist in having them run 
the streets and associate with those who are vicious. 
What do your children learn on the streets ? Good 
manners ? No ; you are bound to answer. No good 
manners are acquired from their associates. You must 
know this. You must know that they learn to swear, 
to use obscene language, to steal, and everything else 
that is pernicious. But what do I say ? Is not the 
basest example given them at home. At home, where 
the young heart should be trained to sobriety, where 
the intellect should be molded to usefulness, where the 
soul should be directed to honorable aspirations, — there 
in the very home of the child, in the nursery of their 
youthful years, bad example is given. Instead of so- 
briety, drunkenness prevails ; instead of Christian virtue, 
vice abounds ; instead of prayer, profanity is heard. 
How can a child, amidst such environments, be good ? 
The marvel is that some children are as good as they 
are. I do not say that all the parents of this parish 
are bad ; but I do say that some are accountable for the 
misconduct of their children. Were some of our 
Catholic parents compared with the Scribes and 
Pharisees, it appears to me that their chances of 
salvation are more meagre than that of those to whom 
the words of our Saviour in this day's Gospel were so 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 227 

forcibly addressed. Might we not say in truth that the 
justice of such parents toward their children is not as 
commendable as that of the Scribes and Pharisees ? 
Might we not say to such parents, that unless your 
justice toward your children abound more in the future 
than at present, you shall never enter the kingdom of 
God ? These words may sound harshly, but they are 
spoken in charity and with the conviction that they are 
true. 

Our Divine Lord says : " Therefore, if thou offerest thy 
gift at the altar, and there shalt remember that thy bf other 
hath a?iythi?ig agai?ist thee, leave there thy gift before the 
altar, and first go to be reconciled to thy brother, a?id then 
come and offer thy gift y (Matt, v.^ — 23,24.) I would 
say to some parents, if you come to offer your gift at 
the altar and remember that your children are running 
the streets, leave here your gift and go in search of 
your children. Bring them to church. Offer them to 
God. Let them be your gift. God will be pleased 
with such an offering, for it will be the first step toward 
the complete dedication of them to their Creator. If 
it is a necessary condition to the worthy offering of a 
gift to God, that you become reconciled with your 
brother, how much more obligatory it is to teach your 
children the way to eternal glory. How can you be 
content in church ? how can you pray ? or can you flatter 
yourselves that your prayers will be favorably heard, 
when your children are coursing unrestrained about the 
town ? Can you assume a sanctimonious air ? can you 
convince yourselves that you are truly devout, when 
your children are untrained in virtue, uncouth in 
manners, impious in language — and all this due to your 
negligence ? 

Alas ! this is not all. What about those parents who 



228 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 

seldom come to Mass ? What about them and their 
children ? Who can estimate their injustice ? Who 
can measure the depths of their degradation ? Ah, 
how the voice of their Saviour crys to them : " IV/io 
sca7idalizes one of these little ones, it were better that a mill- 
stone be tied around Jiis neck and he sunk in the bottom of the 
deep ! " These words should ever vibrate through the 
hearts of parents, should penetrate their soul and awa- 
ken an act of contrition for their cruel negligence tow- 
ard themselves and their children. " \^/ho scandalizes 
one of these little ones !'' Who are they whose conduct 
invokes such condemnation ? Are they demons from 
the abyss of the damned ? Are they the outlaws of 
society ? No ; they are parents ! They are called by the 
endearing name of father and mother ; but they are ruin- 
ing their children. These call for the bread of life, for 
instruction, edification, and good example ; but those 
kind, affectionate. Christian parents give them poison- ■ 
that poison which corrupts the heart, which contam- 
inates the intellect, which destroys the moral and relig- 
ious life ! Woe to such parents ! Can they expect 
eternal happiness when their children are condemned 
to eternal miseries ? Can they enjoy temporal life, 
when they know they are outcasts of society ? when 
their children are in jail, the penitentiary, or in other 
places of disgrace and sin ? If the children are con- 
demned to walk the ways of wretchedness here and 
hereafter, on account of the heartless malice of the 
parents, there islittlehope for such cruel parents. Truly 
their justice does not abound more than that of the 
Scribes and Pharisees. 

Parents are obliged to be interested in the pious and 
useful education of their children. God requires them 
to train their children in virtue and religion. Nay. 



FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 229 

more : does it not seem strange that parents must be 
exhorted and even scolded before they will send their 
children to instruction and Mass ? One would think 
their highest aspiration would be the training of their 
children, the leading of them into the avenues of honor, 
self-respect, and self-control ; that they would infuse into 
their young souls a love of God, a love for religion, a 
love for everything exalting. Some parents, however, 
take a diametrically opposite view. Judging from 
their actions, I would come to the conclusion that they 
desire their children to wallow in the lowest filth of 
society, neverto attain to anything worthy, self-support- 
ing, or sacred. Our Lord says to such parents : ^'' Let 
those little ones come unto Me ; for such is the kingdom of 
heaven'' And such parents say : '' No, they will not 
go to you ! VVe do not wish them to be converted by 
Your goodness nor sanctified by Your blessing." 

Our Saviour prays that they may come to Him. '''Let 
them come to Me. I shall teach them the way of eter- 
nal life. I shall lift them up. They will pursue virtue. 
They will be sanctified b}^ My grace, I shall feed them 
with My own body and blood, send them to My Church. 
Send them to instruction, and the}^ and you will re- 
joice." — " No ; " their parents reply ; ** they want none 
of Your sacred caresses ! they .want none of Your 
saving benedictions ! they want neither church nor 
instruction, nor happiness with You ! They shall run the 
streets, associate with infectious companions ! They 
shall blaspheme, steal, become drunken sots, and the 
acme of their record shall be made in prison or upon 
the scaffold !" Oh, wretched parents ! Can you con- 
demn your children, the children of your heart, to such 
awful conditions ! Have you not some pity ? Will 
younot foresee the misery and the disgrace — awful bur- 



230 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOSl^. 

dens — which your children must bear when you are in 
the grave, unless you train them thoroughly in the sacred 
truths of your religion ? Have compassion upon them. 
Send them to catechism. Do everything in your 
power to give them a Christian education. Then, 
indeed, your justice will abound more than the Scribes 
and Pharisees, and your reward will be an endless joy 
with your children in the kingdom of your heavenly 
Father. 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



/ have compassion on the multitude : for behold they have 
now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat. (St. 
Mark viii. — 2.) 

My Dear Friends : You have just heard, as you have 
often heard before, how Jesus fed the multitude. He 
had compassion on them. How kindly he expresses 
Himself ! With what solicitude He thinks of them ! 
If He leave them depart without nourishment, they 
will famish by the wayside. They have been with Him 
three days. What joy must have been theirs ! What a 
privileged opportunity! Listening to His wonderful 
discourses, they forgot their physical wants. The soul 
was nourished by His words of wisdom. Unmindful 
of the future, they gave themselves unreservingly to 
Him. But they must now part, teaching us by this 
example that, while we serve God, we should not 
neglect the temporal affairs of life ; that we should 
carry in our souls His instructions, be guided by them, 
never allow them to become dormant in our hearts, 
though we may be interested in the affairs of earth. 
If we always remain faithful to Him, He will take care 
that we shall never famish. 

You may be prone to ask the question : '' Did these 
whom He so affectionately fed in this miraculous man- 

231 



232 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

ner, always cling to these memories ? In spirit did they 
ever depart from Him ? " Were we to judge them 
according to the standard of the present age, according 
to the conduct of some Catholics, we would be com- 
pelled to admit that some of them at least soon forgot 
the lessons on eternal life, which they heard on that 
memorable occasion ; or these lessons ere long became 
for them lifeless principles. I say, were you to esti- 
mate the holiness of their after actions by the criterion 
which some Catholics by their waywardness establish, 
I think you would be inclined to declare that many of 
them grew forgetful, and in time entirely neglected the 
sage maxims to which they had once listened. They 
had a Divine Instructor, it is true ; but have not 
Catholics been taught by a teacher who has her doc- 
trines and commission from this self-same Saviour ? 
Tliose were fed in a miraculous way by bread which 
gave strength to the body. These — these very Cath- 
olics to whom reference is made, were nourished, body 
and soul, by the body, b'ood, soul, and divinity of that 
very Instructor. How many Catholics, instructed in 
childhood and youth in the healthful principles of 
Christian truth, have turned their backs upon the old 
Church, and by their actions defied their God ! 

Is it not lamentable to see Catholics reared in the 
bosom of the Church, forgetting all the solid truths of 
religion once cherished by them. As children, they 
w^ere taught the rudiments of Catholic doctrine. With 
what zeal they prepared themselves for first Holy Com- 
munion ! Angel they were when they for the first 
time partook of the bread of life, — that bread which 
came down from heaven to be their food and nourish- 
ment. What innocent aspirations filled their young 
hearts ! What pious plans they laid for the future ! 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 233 

But they were not steadfast in their youthful resolves. 
The aspirations faded from their hearts. Probably 
their parents were indifferent in the observance of their 
religious duties ; and this deficiency on the part of 
the parents was destructive to the child. One thing 
is certain, that as soon as the child mingled with com- 
pany, as soon as he began to estrange himself from the 
benefits conferred by the sacraments, his tendencies 
were downward. Like an exposed flower, he withers 
before the frosts of bad companionship. He fails, but 
his failure is largely due to his own indifference. 
While he said his prayers night and morning ; while 
he devoutly heard Mass on Sunday, and strengthened 
his soul with the exalting efficacy of the sacraments, 
he was good, he was virtuous. But many boys and girls, 
as they grow into youth, become ashamed of practising 
these virtues which sustain the vigor of the will and 
fertilize the Christian emotions of the heart. Led 
by folly, they imagine it would not do to be good ; or 
perhaps they fear criticism. Some carping tongues 
may censure their piety. Ah ! how happy they always 
would be, if the tongue of slander could say nothing 
worse than that they were good. 

Youth brings its passions, which often cause many to 
mourn, — passions good in themselves, but which must be 
curbed. If not restrained, then they become a tempest 
sweeping to destruction. If trained to subjection, they 
elevate rather than demoralize the possessor. At this 
period of life all the safeguards available should be cast 
around the young ; and the best of these is a rational 
observance of these sacred truths which made them pure 
and happy on the morning of their First Communion. 
To these ought to be added reading of an elevating, 
moral, but attractive tone. Teach the child to read 



234 SIXTH SUNDAY AFIER PENTECOST. 

wholesome literature when he is young, and he or she 
will not depart from the true God. They will in a meas- 
ure, at least, be able to combat the evil teachings of 
godless writers, and may be the means of saving an 
erring soul. Much, indeed, can be done by a well- 
informed Catholic. He meets men in every walk of 
life. Sensible controversies sometimes arise ; and if he 
can give cogent answers to the doubting inquirer, he 
will accomplish much good. But his life must not be 
a contradiction to his arguments. His should radiate 
Catholic principles of morality and religion. Then will 
his words have weight and influence. Then will his 
daily conduct appeal to men of common sense and voice 
the efficacyof Catholic training. 

Moreover, parents should incessantly train their chil- 
dren to habits of industry and honesty. Industry will 
keep them engaged in worthy pursuits, will keep them 
from bad companions, will make them both thrifty and 
sober ; while honesty will win them approval, will 
recommend them to places of honor and trust, will pre- 
vent them bringing disgrace upon themselves and their 
friends. " An honest ma?i is the Jioblest work of God " ; 
but you cannot have the honest man unless \'ou have 
the honest boy. " The boy is the father of the ma?iy 
Besides, were all Catholic young people honest how much 
it would help those seeking for positions. The fact that 
they were Catholics would be a recommendation suffi- 
cient for the employer. In this manner one could help 
another along the rugged way to profitable situations. 
But let one Catholic — only one — prove himself dis- 
honest in deed or in word to his employer, and this person 
will loose confidence in Catholics, and will ever afterward 
regard them with suspicion. On the other hand, let him 
show himself reliable amidst every temptation, and he 



SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 235 

must necessarily advance. It will, too, be a source of 
pleasure to him to know that his advancement will assist 
others to obtain employment. 

Now all this and more, too, will be realized if Catholic 
youth wander not from the precepts learned in child- 
hood ; if they do not depart from the teachings of 
their Church and the commandments of Almighty God. 
Let them remain firm in the innocent resolutions made 
on First Communion day, when for the first time they 
were nourished in a most miraculous manner by the 
Saviour Who had compassion on the multitude. Let 
them renew those resolves at each succeeding commun- 
ion, and add to them some new principle of conduct 
which more experienced years discern to be requisite to 
a successful career in noble, honest, faithful action. 
Let them never barter for any consideration the fidelity 
they owe their Eternal Father, and He will always have 
compassion on them. He will never permit them to 
faint by the way. In moments of discouragement. He 
will stimulate them to greater exertion ; when depressed 
by disappointments, He will infuse new fortitude ; when 
enemies will attack them, His irresistible right arm will 
be their armor, and the world will be the better for their 
living ! 



SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



Beware of false prophets, who come to \ou in the clothing 
of sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (St. Math, 
vii.— 15.) 

My Dear Friends : You may say upon first thought, 
we have no prophets ; that the age of prophecy is 
passed ; that there are no such persons in our time, 
either false or true. If you reflect ; if you consider your 
own experience — the observations you have made — 
you will conclude with me that false prophets still 
infest the earth ; that the words of our Divine Saviour 
which I have quoted, are applicable to our age. They 
still come to you in the clothing of sheep, but they are 
wolves in disguise. They have a bland smile, bewitch- 
ing words, a fascinating demeanor. With their pol- 
ished, oily tongues and gentle behavior they are at heart 
serpents. The} ingratiate themselves into the favors of 
the unsuspecting and innocent. They are gentle only to 
deceive ; boisterous at times only to intimidate ; affable 
only to destroy. Exteriorly, the Gospel compares 
them to sheep ; but interiorly is where the malice resides. 
Beware of them ! Heed the warning of your Lord and 
your God ; He does not speak in vain. He knows the 
heart as well as the appearance of things. So obey His 
fatherly admonishings. 

236 



SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 237 

That you may the better understand what is meant, 
when I say there are false prophets, let us take a few 
examples to elucidate our subject. Here is a man ; he 
meets one of you. He says : " Come, let us have a 
few drinks. Let us enjoy ourselves. We shall have a 
good time." But you answer : ** I cannot go. I prom- 
ised to be home at a certain hour ; and if I don't, the 
old lady will be vexed." He replies with apparent 
boastfulness : " To hell with the old women ! We can- 
not be always tied to their apron-strings. What do 
they mean ? Make slaves of us ? They have no use 
for us but to work. If I were to die, you would see 
how soon my old woman would have another man ; and 
it is just the same with all the women. Come, let us 
have a good time for once in our lives. Let us eat 
drink, and be merry ; and let the old women have what 
is left." After some more seductive argument, seasoned 
with a judicious amount of flattery, you go with him to 
the saloon. This man may be out in the interest of 
the tavern proprietor. But be this as it may, you drink 
and become unconsciously happy. A few drinks do not 
satiate the appetite once awakened. You drink until 
the wee, small hours of the morning, and very likely 
foot all the expenses. A faint shadow of your wife 
and family flitter across your benumbed imagination. 
You think you will go home and rest up a little. You 
do not go far till you fall into the gutter. Covered with 
mud, you try to rise. But the more you labor to regain 
your feet, the more you are besmeared with the filth 
into which you have fallen. You conclude to remain 
where you are to sober a little. After a few hours, you 
wake up. You do not see your boon companion. 
He seems to have taken wings. But your head is in a 
frightful shape. It compares very favorable with your 



238 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

clothes. You totter along home in a fit of despon- 
dency. What, let me ask, about that home ? Children 
and wife have passed an anxious night, wondering 
what became of you. And there they are, and there 
you are, an abject sight, before them ; the children 
dismayed and your wife disconsolate. What now do 
you think about your prophet ? He promised you a 
good time. He assured you that your joy would be 
commensurate to the amount of intoxicants you would 
absorb. Did his prophecy come true ? Was he not in 
reality a false prophet ? Did he not deceive you ? 
Did he not bring misery upon yourself and tears to the 
eyes of your wife and children ? Beware, I say, of those 
false prophets who come to you in the clothing of 
sheep ! Beware, before they devour you and all you 
have ! 

Here is another prophet. He insinuates himself 
among the young and pure of soul. By his suave 
countenance and nicety of speech he wins his way 
into their confidence. His alluring smile has all the 
charm, all the destructive power of a serpent's eye. 
They fall a victim to his snare. Indeed, so powerful 
is his influence over them, that at his beck they willingly 
plunge into the whirlpool of sinful pleasure. He 
found them innocent, he leaves them degraded. The 
brow that formerly was decked with modesty is be- 
smirched with shame. They have fallen from the peace 
of angels to the depths of human disgrace. This 
demon has entered into the heaven of their young lives, 
where guilt had never marred, nor temptations had an 
abode. They were happy and simple. Innocence had 
thrown her mantle about them, and loving aspirations 
were entwined around their hearts. He gradually, 
stealthily enticed them from the bowers of tranquil 



SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 239 

youth. It was only for a walk or a drive at first, but 
the friend was designing, was crafty. While his lips 
spoke gentle words, the fumes of hell blazed around 
his heart. His object was to destroy, and destroy he 
did ! At first they would return home in time at night. 
They had not broken all the silken cords of restrain ; but 
now they care not for the supplications of their parents ; 
they listen not to the admonitions of the Church ; they 
fear not the decrees of Almighty God. The friend 
promised them pleasure, but he gives them sorrow. 
They were to have unstinted joy ; but they quaff un- 
ceasingly from poisonous springs of disgrace, dishonor, 
and remorse. Was he not a false prophet ? or, if the 
schemer was a prophetess, the same is true : she was 
false — false as the inmates of hell ! Yea, were it 
possible, falser, meaner, more fiendish, more cruel than 
Lucifer himself ! For this prophet or prophetess is 
human, and he or she pollutes poor, weak human kind ! 
How^ many young people, boys and girls, are thus' 
destroyed ? How^ many curses they heap upon their 
own poor heads and hearts by following the decoying 
villain who plots their ruin. Are Catholics exempt 
from this nefarious business ? Alas ! we regret to say 
that some Catholics wear the livery of helL Their 
highest ambition is to blast innocence and blight happy 
lives ; to allure from peaceful homes and lead into dens 
of iniquity. Beware, then, of these false prophets! 
They are in sheep's clothing — arrayed in fine words: 
so nice, so gentlemanly, such a sweet temper. Beware 
of them ! The wages they will give you is death. 
Yea, worse than death ; for dying, you will not die, but 
live a life of remorse, an example of your own folly 
and the prophet's treachery. 

The false prophet appears in another role. He is a 



240 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

gambler. His passion for gaming is intense. As he 
cannot gamble alone, he seeks companions, and one 
gambler is sufficient to corrupt a whole parish. He 
draws many foolish persons into the same habits as those 
which make his own life miserable. He will pretend 
he cannot play well, or he will seduce another to be his 
partner. You will win, he assures the other. You 
can make money easily and quickly in this manner. It 
is folly to work hard. Men make fortunes in a few 
hours. " Come," the gambler will urge, "you can win 
without difficulty. I shall play into your hand. I war- 
rant you it is the easiest thing in the world. You have 
a sharp eye. Were I one-half as keen as you, I would 
be a rich man. Why you can see right through a per- 
son. I never saw a man who could read the countenance 
as correctly as you can." You yield to this polished flat- 
tery, with the result that you rise from the gaming table 
a poorer but perhaps a wiser man. Did you realize the 
wealth which the prophet guaranteed you ? Oh, no ; 
that was not his business. He was in it for gain. Some- 
one had to lose. 

Now while gambling is bad in itself, it has, moreover, 
a retinue of other evils. Drinking is one. Then quar- 
relling, and sometimes murder. Employment is neg- 
lected ; regular hours at home are abandoned ; money 
is stolen to meet the exigencies of the game. Then 
follow ruined fortunes and broken hearts. A youth 
addicted to games of chance will wreck a whole neigh- 
borhood of boys. These will steal from their parents, 
then swear they didn't ; use the filthiest language ; be- 
come rowdies; associate with the lowest strata of young 
men, — damning themselves while they distract and 
impoverish their parents. An awful crime against 
themselves and against law and order ! What will be 



SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 241 

their fate ? What is the fate of a gambler ? A 

wretched death and an unhallowed grave. Thousands 

he has ruined; thousands he has enticed from the noble 

walks of life. Homes he has plundered, sorrows he has 

multiplied, souls he has doomed to endless torture ; what 

can he expect himself ? 

Gambling is a terrible passion. It takes possession 

of a person, never to relinquish its grip. It involves its 

votary into sin and grave vices. Drunkenness, theft, 

lust, and murder are often a part of its train. Visit the 

gambler's home. In the heyday of his prosperity it may 

be nicely furnished ; but it is not happy. But when ill 

luck attends him, then his home becomes a madhouse, a 

residence for poverty, dissipation, and fierce resolution. 

Beware, therefore, of the false prophet who would tempt 

you to depart from honesty and sobriety, to follow him 

in his devious route. If you enlist yourself under his 

banner, you will leave behind tranquillity, good name, 

credit — everything which goes to make an honorable 
person. 

You perceive we only touched principally upon the 
temporal losses sustained by following the false proph- 
ets. Moreover, there are others of whom self-respect 
forbids us to speak. By their fruit you shall know them, 
and their lives and the ends thereof will be distinguished 
for evil ; for a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. A just 
God will demand of them an account of the lives they 
blighted. On earth, they will be noted for the disorders 
of their lives. Prison will often be their homes. 
Destruction they will ultimately bring upon them- 
selves. Their shrewdness will not always answer for a 
mask to their iniquities. The autumn will come. The 
fruit they will have will be bad. They will be cut 
down when they least expect it, and an avenging God 



242 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

will punish them for all the lives they wrecked. 
Do not, therefore, Christian friends, be deceived. The 
honest, staightforward way is the best here, and surely is 
approved by the God of virtue. You do not desire 
a criminal's grave ; you do not wish to render your 
souls polluted with every crime, into the presence of 
an all-pure God ; you do not want the curses of injured 
youth, of betrayed innocence, of broken-hearted parents, 
to accompany you before the tribunal of unerring just- 
ice. Avoid, then, bad company. Be not entrapped by 
the graciousness of a cunning deceiver. Tempt not 
others into the meshes of sin, nor sink yourselves into 
the pits of infamy ; " For the wages of sin is death ; but the 
grace of God, everlasting life in Christ Jesus our Lord!' 



EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



What is this I hear of thee ? Give an account of thy 
stewardship ; for now thou canst not be steward. (Luke 
xiv. — 2.) 

My Dear Friends : These words should impress you 
deeply with the truth that those things which you call 
yours, do not in the strictest sense belong to you. All 
things are from God. Repossesses all. You are only 
the stewards, and must at some time give an account 
of your stewardship. If you employ the things placed 
in your care by Almighty God in a praiseworthy 
manner, they will redound to your credit ; He will 
reward you for your just and charitable disposition of 
them. On the contrary, if you misuse them, if you 
think they are yours, and yours only ; if you use them 
to establish a selfish, pernicious reputation, they will 
be an injury to you when you come to answer for your 
stewardship. 

Supposing an angel of death would now stand in your 
midst and summon anyone of you to render an account 
of your affairs, how would the books of your life ap- 
pear. Would the credits be large and numerous and the 
debits be few and insignificant? Is there anyone of 
you prepared for the ordeal? You would recoil from 
such an invitation. You would want time to adjust 

^43 



244 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

your affairs, to blot out some of the debits and increase 
your credits. But at this moment, would the balance 
sheet of your life's conduct be favorable or unfavorable? 
This is the awful question ; for, if it is not in a condition 
to bear inspection now, when will it be ? Remember 
that as a person lives, so he is likely to die ; and at any 
moment the Eternal Master may say to you : " What is 
this I hear of you ? Render an account of your stewardship ; 
for now you ca?i7iot be steward. '' Render an account 
of the wealth you amassed ! Render an account 
of the life given you ! Render an account of the talents 
with which I endowed you and the opportunities afforded 
you ! Do you not think that were you now called 
to reply to the summons, you would be in as perplexing 
a condition as the steward mentioned in the Gospel? 

Let us reflect upon the suggestions which our text 
presents. Do you use your wealth for good purposes? 
Have you acquired it in laudable pursuits ? To gain 
opulence is not to be condemned; but have you gained 
it honestly, and do you employ it in a Christian manner ? 
Has it been obtained by the ruination of others ? Have 
you built the foundation upon spoils taken from the 
weak and the unfortunate ? There are some who care 
not by what means they attain to wealth, so long as they 
possess the glittering stores. It might have caused tears 
to be shed. It might have caused hearts to break ; but 
no matter, so long as they have succeeded in the affairs 
of life. They expect that with riches will come power, 
and influence, and a great name. What care they who 
may suffer ? Wealth is what they want, and wealth they 
will have, though the orphan'sand the widow'scry appeal 
to heaven for revenge. They become arrogant and 
proud. They wish to be the dictators of other men's 
business ; and dictators they will be, though they im- 



EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 245 

poverish and pillage the weaklings who fall within their 
iron grasp. 

But when they least expect it, the Lord God will 
demand a settlement. He will say to them: " What is 
this I hear of yutt f Render an account of your steward- 
ship ; for 710W you cannot be steward.'' Render an 
account of the tears you caused to be shed ! Render an 
account of the hearts you have broken ! Render an ac- 
count of the poor you have plundered, of the lives you 
have wrecked, of the souls you have destroyed, of the 
sorrows you have multiplied ! Render an account of 
these things, for you shall be a steward no longer. 

Another having reached the summit of power and 
pre-eminence, flatters himself that he is the sole arch- 
itect of other people's fortunes as well as the dictator 
of their behavior. What he desires, they must accom- 
plish. His beck must be law to them, and woe to the 
one who dares be an independent man ! He is pun- 
ished, probably ruined. He is only a slave. Who need 
give him any honest consideration ? The mighty thus 
rule it over thpusands who are only a little better 
than abject slaves. And how is this mightiness pur- 
chased? Sometimes by stealth, by chicanery, by the 
temporal destruction of the poor or weak. He com- 
mands with the haughtiness of a despot, and executes 
with the unrelenting severity of a tyrant. Instead of 
usinghis acquisitions to relieve misery and wretchedness, 
instead of consoling the unprosperous, repairing disas- 
ter, calming troubled hearts, mitigating distress, he 
aggravates these. He takes advantage of disaster to 
increase his power. The misery and failure of others but 
accentuate his greatness. Their ill-luck will make him 
more prominent ; will make more brilliant the autocrat 
of ruined fortunes. 



24:6 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

But there is One above him — One Who patiently 
•notes his conduct, and finally notifies him to appear, 
and asks him : " What is this I hear of thee ? The cry 
of the wronged and the oppressed cry to Me for just- 
ice. Render an account of the failures you have 
caused, of the homes you have impoverished, of the 
persons you have made destitute, of the injustices you 
have perpetrated. The moans of the suffering demand 
justice. The promises you have made, only to break ; 
the distress of which you were the promoter, the pun- 
ishments you have unjustly inflicted, the malice with 
which you have hounded the unfortunate, reach My 
ears and clamor for redress. Render an account of 
your inhumane behavior, for now thou canst not be 
My steward." 

How many a young person gave promise of success 
in life, whose career ended in disaster ! You have 
unquestionably known such. You have probably pre- 
dicted that certain youthful individuals would achieve 
honorable prominence in their chosen occupations. 
They were gifted with generous sensibilities of heart 
and intellectual talents of a high order. The future 
offered them worthy inducements ; but they profited 
neither by their talents nor by their opportunities. 
They squandered their gifts and their opportunities in 
vicious company ; or they became indolent, unreliable, 
and dishonest. Instead of ascending the ladder of 
laudable fame ; instead of forcing open the portals of 
success and rendering their lives useful by great 
achievements, — they abandoned every noble resolve, 
prostituted their powers of soul and body to sinful 
corruption, and fell from the citadel of great enterprise 
to the hell of failure and remorse ! 

In various ways do persons fail in employing the 



EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 247 

mental gifts of which they are only the custodians. 
Might not God rebuke them severely for the injudicious 
management of the intellectual riches over which He 
placed them as steward ? Might He not say to them : 
" I gave you a heart endowed with amiable emotions ; 
in your breast were placed aspirations which would 
stimulate you to greater effort ; but you stifled these 
emotions, you dammed up the noble current of lofty 
aspiration, and you opened the flood-gates of basest 
passion ! I gave you a heart enriched with affection 
to love Me ; but you abused this gift In compensation 
for My goodness, you gave Me hatred ! You had a heart 
capable of sympathy for the forlorn and the unhappy ; 
but you sneered at them, as if they were worms at your 
feet. You had a heart prone to enjoy the beauties of nat- 
ure, but you feasted yourself upon the vile and the cor- 
rupting. Not satisfied with your own debasement, you 
occupied yourself in debasing and polluting innocence. 
Now give an account of your stewardship. Explain 
your follies. Return to Me the gifts imparted to you. 
What profit have you on them ? What interest has 
accrued ? The interests of malice, of misspent time, 
of opportunities wasted, of souls damned ' ' He may 
say to some : " I gave you a tongue to defend innocence 
and protect justice ; I gave you this wondrous organ of 
speech to instruct the ignorant, to comfort the sorrow- 
ful, and to utter the truth. You misapplied this instru- 
ment of communication. You engaged in deception. 
You converted it from an instrument of protection into 
a weapon of treachery. You have slandered and vilified 
and calumniated the innocent. You have destroyed 
reputations, ruined prospects, devastated hopes. Hearts 
have suffered the poison of your words and the malice 
of 3^our invectives. I gave you a tongue to praise Me — 



248 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 

your Creator — but you reviled Me, you blasphemed 
against Me. You would have torn Me from the uni- 
verse, were it in your power. You have insinuated and 
boldly proclaimed that My existence is a farce, a 
superstition. You have infused doubt, have attacked 
indestructible principles of truth. You have had fol- 
lowers, but now is the time for an adjustment of your 
blasphemy, your ingratitude, and )^our treachery. I have 
borne with you for a time ; My patience and mercy are 
exhausted. Give an account of your villainous steward- 
ship." 

Again He will demand an account from those who 
have made bad use of their intellectual faculties. 
These were bestowed for exalted purposes. Mankind 
should employ them especially in the service of his 
Creator, and for the benefit of himself and his fellow- 
man. However, you see them engaged in unholy 
undertakings. They are made the machinery of dev- 
astation. Plots are hatched to bring financial disasters 
upon the unwary and powerless. Unlawful discrimi- 
nation is made because of religion or politics. The 
ends of justice are thwarted by cunningness and wealth. 
Legislatures are bribed, and thus the great intellect of 
the nation is dwarfed, or it is worse than annihilated. 
The nation's prosperity is retarded, her dignity im- 
peached by public sentiment ; and if this be permitted 
to continue, will effect national disgrace. 

In this manner and numerous other ways, talents and 
genius are turned from their true activity. Human 
ability, instead of reaching the zenith of attainment, 
where it would be the pride and glory of our country, 
is employed in mercenary labors, in unlaudable pur- 
suits. Wonderful indeed that human intellect would 
toil to undermine the fabric of society, to cripple 



EIGHTH SUNDAY APTER PENTECOST. 249 

private or public enterprise, or to corrupt government. 
Its great object — its only object, should be to build 
up the state, to enrich literature, to promote honest 
emulation, and to extend the domain of science. 
Above all these and beyond, is the noblest, the most 
exalted, the most refining use of your intellectual 
faculties ! Need I tell you this is the service of God ? 
The uncreated Lord of all stewards will demand, and 
must obtain, a settlement of all accounts. If all His 
endowments have been well employed, if His gifts 
have been profitably invested, then He will place you 
over great things in His eternal kingdom. 



NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



Afid when He drew iiear^ seeing the city, He wept over it. 
(St. Luke xix. — 41.) 

The tender affection of our Divine Lord for poor 
fallen human nature was manifested upon this memor- 
able occasion, when He wept over the city of the Jews. 
There was the temple in which He had been worshipped 
by His chosen people. There, too, in that very same 
city live many devout persons still awaiting the coming 
of the Messiah. But, alas ! not a stone will be left upon 
a stone. Its magnificence must disappear forever. As 
He wept, He saw the past, the present, and the future 
of Jerusalem and the Jewish people ; he saw how often 
they became rebellious against His law ; how often 
their excesses had been curbed by punishment — by the 
punishment of a foreign foe, by their capitivity. But 
their depravity had now become unendurable. His 
doctrine was soon to pass to the Gentile, and all that 
was magnificent in the existence of the Jewish race was 
ere long to.be destroyed by the invader — not a stone was 
to be left upon a stone. 

As He wept over the ill-fated city, might He not have 
rebuked its inhabitants in the following words : " Alas ! 
I weep over you. The time of your visitation has 
come. I have loved you as a mother loves her child 

250 



NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. '251 

Out of the land of Pharoah I led you. I broke asunder 
the shackles of your slavery. Through the sea, I gave 
you a safe passage. For forty years I kept you and fed 
you in the desert, that all taint of idolatry and corruption 
acquired in the land of strangers might be purged from 
your souls. Finally I brought you to the land of prom- 
ise. I gave you patriarchs — holy men whose examples 
should have been your guide. I gave you prophets for 
your instructors ; I did everything for you, but constantly 
you were rebellious. You have been a stiff-necked peo- 
ple. Sorry I am to say it, but it is true: I have raised 
up children, and they have abandoned Me. The time of 
of your visitation has arrived. Not a stone will be left 
upon a stone. You shall be scattered, and you magnifi- 
cence wasted, and strangers shall inhabit the sanctuary 
in which you once prayed ; but now you have made it a 
den of thieves." 

If you pass over the long ages of Christianity, and 
come down to the now-expiring nineteenth century, will 
you not agree with me, that Jesus may weep again over 
the sad conditions existing among men. It is now over 
the Gentiles He may weep. In this age of material 
progress, but spiritual degeneracy, there is much cause 
for tears. In this age when the storms of infidelity 
and aetheistical notions break upon the promontory of 
the soul; when the fogs of immorality settle upon the 
mainlands of the intellect ; when avarice parches and 
drys up the pure springs of the heart, — there is much to 
deplore. Notwithstanding our boasted progress — and 
indeed it cannot be denied that we are a progressive 
people — the great aim of life is gain. Gain, though 
unnumbered people suffer from this inexorable greed. 
The world is flooded with depravity. Religious doubt 
and agnostic propensities are everywhere rampant. 



252 NINTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 

Everywhere is spiritual disorder, while many dare pro- 
claim there is no God. 

To be sure, the present age is not responsible for all 
this social turbulence. It had its origin with the so- 
called Reformation, when men rose against legitimate 
authority, and with the Bible in one hand and the sword 
in the other, declared for what they termed religious 
freedom and liberty of thought ; but what was in reality a 
license for disorder. Protestants were arrayed against 
Catholics. Bitter controversies followed. Thought 
clashed with thought, and sometimes cruelty and often 
bloodshed were the consequences. The Bible was the 
revealed word of God — the infallible guide. But while 
they proclaimed its sacredness, they polluted its essence 
by their false translations and additions and subtrac- 
tions. This is not fanciful notion I express. These 
charges are not born of my imagination, but based upon 
uncontrovertible evidences. But now what respect is 
shown toward this infallible guide ? Many of Protest- 
antism's celebrated ministers declare it is not infallible, 
that it is not inspired ; yet some even venture so far as 
to hold it up to ridicule. Alas for human invention 
and human weakness ! 

This miscalled liberty of thought paved the avenues 
to pernicious systems of philosophy. One main- 
tained that everything is God, and was called Panthe- 
ism. Another declaring that there is no God ; this is 
Atheism. Spiritualism, holding that everything is 
spirit, argued that there is no matter ; and the 
opposite teaching, that everything is material, that there 
is no spirit. This was termed by its supporters Material- 
ism, and as a natural consequence denied the exist- 
ence of God. These views were transmitted to France, 
where Diderot, Rouseau, and Voltaire flourished, ridi- 



NINTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 253 

culing religion and giving vent to their own destructive 
notions. Thus society everywhere became infected 
with doubt and unbelief. Many priding themselves 
in their agnostic demands, clamored for proofs. " We 
will not believe," they said ; " only those things which 
can be demonstrated to us. Reason is supreme ! Ad- 
duce your evidences ! If they satisfy our judgment, 
we shall acquiesce " ; little thinking that humble 
things at their feet baffle their proud reason. 

This spirit of intellectual independence is prevalent in 
this dying century. Doubt, Infidelity, and Agnosticism, 
and even Atheism, have now saturated a vast number of 
society. Well meaning people are perplexed, while 
others would tear God from the heavens, were it in 
their power. Compared with the downfall of Judaism, 
our age is more vitiated with false opinions, and more 
contaminated with immorality. Might not Jesus again 
weep over perverse human nature, over the degeneracy 
of our times ; and in His tears tell many of our age : 
" You have wandered far from the path of truth, 
though I have placed in your midst the ark of salvation. 
I have established a Church in which you should abide 
and learn to be virtuous and holy. I have died on the 
cross to regenerate you ; I have given you sacraments 
to be your strength and encouragement ; I have fed 
you with My own body and blood, or have offered to 
do so, — but you have turned your faces from Me. It 
will be better for Jerusalem in the day of judgment 
than for you." In this deplorable manner could the 
Saviour of mankind justly address multitudes of our 
boasted civilization. He is patient in His justice and 
in His punishment of crime. Truly, He wishes not 
the death of a sinner, but that he may be converted 
and live. 



254 NINTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 

In the midst of this confusion, surrounded by clashinj^ 
opinions and enveloped by the enemies of religion and 
true liberty, is the great depositary of revealed truth 
and the unchangeable dispenser of divine faith. 
Amidst the storms of conflicting notions, the barque of 
St. Peter still rides calmly onward, unsubdued by the 
tempests and undiverted by the malice of men. At 
present her pilot is Leo XIII., and the polar star of 
her course is the God of the universe. Men of thought 
are studying her bearings, and are rushing to her for 
security. Upon her decks they will find safety against 
the icebergs of deception and tranquillity, without fear 
of being lost. 

Catholics must not, however, permit themselves to 
be allured by avarice or desire of fame, from a strict 
adherence to Christian duty. Unlaudable ambition 
must be crushed in their hearts, before it asserts its 
unabatable strength. They should set good example 
that others may be edified. Their lives should be 
marked by a devout observance of the laws of God 
and man. Were they to drift away, they would soon 
be classed among the revilers of God's commandments 
and the teachings of God's Church. The enemy, sin 
and irreligion, would encompass them and straighten 
them on all sides and beat them flat to the ground. 
They, the living temples of the Holy Spirit, would be 
demolished, and not a stone upon a stone of the 
munificence of God's graces would be left. Fortify 
yourselves, therefore, against adversity ; buckle on the 
breast-plate of God's truth, that you may be impervious 
to the darts of the enemy, and that, enriched with the 
benedictions of heaven, victory may ever perch upon 
your banner, 



TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



Because everyone that exalteth himself^ shall be humbled, 
and he that humbleth himself^ shall be exalted. (Luke xviii. 

-14.) 

My Dear Friends : The importance of humility is 
illustrated by this parable. This virtue is worth your 
recognition, and you should cultivate it most assid- 
uously. Whatever is taught by the Saviour of the 
human race, deserves the attention of mankind. Its 
usefulness cannot be questioned, for Jesus errs not ; 
He is the divine Teacher, and His instructions elevate 
those who follow them. He knows what is best as 
well as what is injurious to you. To-day He exhorts 
you to avoid pride and practice humility. Upon the 
veracity of His unerring word. He tells you that the 
proud shall be humbled, and the humble shall be ex- 
alted. Learn from Him, therefore, to love humility. 
He, the Son of God, assures you of the reward attend- 
ing the humble. The inspired writers teach the same 
truth. Those distinguished persons illumined by the 
Holy Spirit ; those men who grasped the thoughts of 
Almighty God and revealed them to man, — exhort to the 
same principle of life. Humility, they proclaim in 
many passages, bears happy fruit — fruit which 
nourishes man in his warfare upon earth, and renders 
him pleasing to both God and man ; which protects him 

355 



256 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

from many of the pitfalls of life, and merits the bless- 
ing of heaven. " Before destruction, the heart of man is 
exalted ; a?id before he be glorified, it is humbled!' (Pro v. 
xviii. — 12.) It is well, then, to cherish this virtue 
in your hearts. Every Catholic should do this, because 
it is recommended so highly by Him who knows all 
things. Do not think that humility belittles man. It 
exalts him, according to the unimpeachable words of 
your Saviour and your God. Humility is not abjec- 
tion — it is not cowardice. It is devout submission to 
the laws of God and man. And to obey the Creator, 
truly becomes the creature. It is that nice pose of the 
soul which discerns things as they are ; which studies 
its environments and defects ; which acknowledges 
its own imperfections, while it makes allowance for the 
short-comings of others. Its views are not befogged 
by the vapors of pride, but keenly, justly, compre- 
hensively, it weighs the good and the true and the false. 
It teaches that, when man errs, when he transgresses 
the laws of God, he should humble himself before his 
Creator and crave for pardon. It rebukes the trans- 
gressor who in his sins rants proudly, even defies the 
powers of the Omnipotent, who imagines he is a God, 
though polluted with almost every crime. This may 
be the disposition of the proud ; but '^ It is better to be 
humbled with the m,eek, than to divide spoils with the proud y 
(Prov. xvi. — ig.) 

Humility is indispensable to the sagacious statesman, 
to the true philosopher, and the consummate artist. It 
is as useful to the smith at the forge, to the farmer at 
the plow, as to the erudite scholar. Indeed, no one 
can be a scholar who is proud. Pride blocks up the 
intellectual vision, impairs its comprehensiveness, 
blinds its investigations. No ; the scholar must neces- 



TENTH 8UNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 257 

sarily be a humble person. By his humility he rec- 
ognizes the greatness of God, admires the wonderful 
works of creation, sees the masterpieces of the Omni- 
potent, acknowledges His mercies, and bows humbly 
before the All-Wise, in whose presence himself appears 
as he is, and therefore can best study himself and 
others. By humility he ascends to the highest peaks of 
human acquirement, and delves into the most profound 
recesses of investigation. He is not hampered by 
pride. He knows there are many things to learn, 
and that he has not grasped them all. In being humble, 
he is wise ; for, '' Where humility is, there also is zvisdom. 
(Prov. xi. — 2.) 

The fruit of humility may also be gathered by those 
who walk in the lowly sphere of life. As we have re- 
marked, it is essential to the blacksmith and the farmer, 
and in fact to all who earn their bread by the sweat of 
their brow. They are poor, but they are humble. 
With the lamp of humility they study their environ- 
ments. While they possess sweet contentment whence 
opens every joy, they perceive higher attainments may 
be reached, and they reach them because he that hum- 
bles himself will be exalted. Even though they wish 
no other occupation in life, they will make the one they 
have more successful than it is possible for the proud 
to do. Moreover, whatever they do acquire, it will be 
won by honesty. Their acquaintances will praise their 
integrity and commend then' honest endeavors. They 
will be respected by their neighbors, and they will leave 
to their children a precious inheritance — the good name 
and credit of humble, but energetic, honorable parents 
— a legacy devoutly to be desired. 

Some people think the rich only are proud, and the 
poor humble. This is an erroneous notion. Not all 



258 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

the rich are proud ; many, indeed, the majority are 
thoughtful and humble. There are some who have 
sprung from poverty to sudden wealth, and the 
height of fortune to which they have ascended, has made 
them dizzy. They cannot bear the presence of those 
who knew them in other days. They turn with well 
defined disgust from the poor and the shabby. Wealth 
has made them proud, and we may add, robbed 
them of their common sense. From the portals of 
their hearts, humility is banished, and indeed every 
noble trait of character has departed with this tender 
virtue. They assume fantastic airs which they think 
belong to aristocracy, but they are rather the property 
of the clown. 

The rich who are great in heart and intellect, cherish 
that beautiful virtue which throws a Christian lustre 
about their opulence and reflects the charity of their 
purse. Such are rich in pocket, but poor in spirit ; 
and ''Blessed'' says the God of wealth, '' are the poor in 
spirit, for tJicy shall see God y With their money they 
alleviate misery, and the prayers of the poor follow 
them to the throne of the Most High. 

It is, on the other hand, a mistaken notion that 
all the poor are humble. Many of them become offen- 
sive on account of their pride. They are in straitened 
circumstances on account of pride, and until they are 
awakened to their folly, they will ever remain not only 
in narrowness of means, but in smallness of character. 
They will not learn. They have no energy, no applica- 
tion ; and if they have any economy, it is only so far as 
they are compelled from the force of the want of 
resources. Others of their own rank are beneath their 
notice, and their affectation is sometimes insufferable. 
" Pride comcth before a fall,'' and they may yet be hum.^ 



TENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 259 

bled. It would be wiser for them to humble themselves, 
to enter into life's labors with earnestness, to toss away 
every proud notion, and be determined to achieve 
something, though such achievement costs the sweat 
of their brow. They will be the better for their indus- 
try ; they will be happier and more contented. They 
will improve their condition by humbling themselves. 
You will now concede that humility is useful in the 
temporal concerns, and let me tell you, it is far more 
serviceable in spiritual affairs. Every Catholic should 
make humility a part of his daily life. It will draw 
down the benedictions of heaven upon him. Pride 
bars out the graces of God, while humility is a channel 
through which divine grace is brought to the soul. 
" Take up My yoke tipo?iyou, and learn of Me, because I am 
meek and hujnble of heart,'''' says the eternal Teacher of 
the human race. "Learn of Me. Behold Me in the Crib 
at Bethlehem, your God and Saviour, wrapped in swad- 
dling clothes. Why should you be proud ? Pride is an 
injurious tinsel. Cast it from you, and clothe yourselves 
with Christian virtue." Learn, too, of the Blessed Virgin 
as she bends over her Divine Infant in the manger. The 
greatest of God's creatures, the Mother of His only Son; 
sheltered by a stable. Behold, too, her exaltation. ^'The 
Lord has regarded ?ny humility ; he?ice forth all nations will 
call ?ne blessed. " Blessed for what? Blessed on account 
of the humility which found such astonishing favor with 
Almighty God. She was humble, and Omnipotence 
made her the Mother of His co-eternal Son. Learn of 
the martyrs, of the saints, of the Fathers, and the schol- 
ars of the Church. They are illustrious in the history 
of Christianity. What made them so? Their humility. 
They imitated the lives of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph ; 
and now they are exalted forever with their heavenly 



260 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

Master , while their memories will never fade as long as 
the Church endures, and that is to the end of time. 

Tom Moore, the celebrated Irish poet, preached an 
interesting sermon on humility in the following beau- 
tiful words : " Humility, that low, sweet root whence 
every virtue shoots." How true, how beautiful is not 
this expression of the poet ! From this humble virtue 
springs all other Christian acts. It is the mother of 
them all. From its roots arise branches upon which the 
other virtues live and have their nourishment. Among 
these you perceive the great theological virtues : pru- 
dence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. Yes, the hum- 
ble person is prudent. His humility fosters prudence. 
He sees things as they are. He examines them care- 
fully. Dangers are foreseen, and are either avoided or 
overcome. He is called a prudent man, a wise man ; 
for as the poet Burns says: " Cautious, prudent, self-con- 
trol is wisdom's root." His prudence brings him honors, 
for humility ever weaves laurels for the brow of those 
who wait upon her. He is a just man. He does not 
injure any one. He neither steals nor cheats. He pays 
his debts; but what is better, he seldom contracts them, 
and then only those which are necessary. No bribe 
can influence him. No flattery can warp his under- 
standing. He stands before the community an honest 
man. He fears God, loves his country, and obeys the 
Church. He is an ornament of society ; and if his in- 
fluence is extensive, he is one of his country's fortified 
garrisons. He is just because he is humble, and he is 
blessed for his justice. '^Blessed art they who hunger and 
thirst after justice, for they shall be filled." He is blessed 
here by his tranquillity of soul, by the appreciation of 
his friends ; nay, even his enemies respect him, and here- 
after he will be eternally blessed by the God of justice. 



TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 261 

Fortitude is another of his distinguishing character- 
istics. This is born of his humility. In the vicissitudes 
of life he may have much to endure, but he will combat 
adversity with a brave heart. Should his enemies for a 
time triumph over him, calmly he will consider their 
victory, and patiently await until the effects of the 
battle will have passed. In defeat, he appears more of 
a man than in his successes. Fortified by humility, he 
has the strength of patience and the courage of fore- 
bearance. He goes quietly on as if nothing had 
happened to disturb his serenity, and ultimately he 
triumphs. In all the caprices of fickle fortune — in sick- 
ness, disappointment, and adversity, he never thinks of 
piercing his heart with a dagger, nor blowing out his 
brains. No ; his hope looks beyond the skys. He has 
the fortitude to withstand these attacks, for his armor is 
prayer, his confidence the promises of his God, and 
his defence the right arm of the Most High. 

He is temperate — temperate in eating and drinking, 
temperate in his speech, temperate in all things. He 
avoids excesses, because these are contrary to humil- 
ity. By his tongue he has embittered the life of no one ; 
and no scandal has arisen from his carousals, for he does 
not indulge in such. His life is one of edification. 
Neither ruin nor evil example can be attributed to 
him. He knows the secret of right living, and he prac- 
tices what he knows. He is therefore healthier, happier, 
and wiser for being humble. From this virtue, as you 
have seen, comes forth all his ennobling qualities of 
body and mind. Prudence, justice, fortitude, and 
temperance are his, together with all the other virtues. 
He is a Christian man ; a man beloved by God ; a 
man who will pass tranquilly from earth to a home of 
endless joy : for he who humbles himself will be exalted. 



ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



And they bring to Hijii one who is deaf and dumb; and they 
besought Him to lay His hand upon him. (St. Mark vii. — 32.) 

My Dear Friends : The Sacred Scriptures tell you 
to-day of a person deaf and dumb, who was brought to 
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. They beseech Him 
to lay His divine hand upon this afiflicted mortal. He 
listens to their prayer, takes him aside from the mul- 
titude, and by His divine power removes the impedi- 
ments. What joy must not that one experience when 
he hears the warblings of birds and the murmurings 
of the streams as they flow along. What music in the 
sounds of Nature for him. He never heard them before. 
To these two great sources of pleasure, he was a total 
stranger ; but now he hears — hears not only the po- 
etry of the winds, the purling of waters, the sweet lays 
of birds, but the entrancing charm of the human voice ; 
nay, more, he hears his Heavenly Benefactor speaking 
to him, and feels the inexpressible influence of His 
words. Once miserable, he now rejoices. He holds 
converse with his friends. The mysterious organ of 
speech now gives forth intelligent sound. The fetters 
which bound it, are now broken ; and the first use he 
makes of it, is to praise his Benefactor. No wonder 
that the multitude were overwhelmed with astonish- 

263 



ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 263 

ment, and began to voice their sentiments in tones of 
admiration. No wonder they continued to publish 
this extraordinary manifestation of power. No won- 
der they saw in it the hand of the Omnipotent. 

This stupendous miracle suggests to our mind many 
thoughts. Permit me to present a few of them to you 
this morning. It cannot be denied that God has often 
touched the deaf ear of society, opened it to the voice 
of His Church, and to the many mercies Himself has 
bestowed. But man as readily forgets as he learns. 
To-day he will acknowledge God s goodness, to-morrow 
forget or deny it. In the morning he will praise 
God, but ere night, will deliberately transgress His 
law. Man rises up against his Eternal Benefactor. His 
ears are open, but he hears not ; he will not hear. His 
tongue is capable of speech, but he will not praise the 
One Who has blessed him with such a marvellous fac- 
ulty. Ofttimes it is used in offending the divine Giver, 
and to pervert others. 

In this age a divine Healer is needed to touch the ears 
of human intellect, that it may awaken to its folly and 
its crimes ; that it may hearken to the voice of God, 
entreating through His Church ; that it may bow down 
before the omnipotence of God, acknowledge its faults 
and extricate itself from the dangers which threaten to 
engulf it. A divine Healer is needed to touch the strings 
which bind down the pure motives of the heart, that this 
receptacle of love will return to its God ; that it will 
abandon its wicked passions or at least curb them ; that 
it will withdraw from the whirlpool of licentiousness 
in which it is tossed. In this age crime is rampant. 
Every device which the perversity of man can invent, 
is enlisted in the cause of immorality. Books, papers, 
pictures, agents — these and many other means are taken 



264 ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTEE iPENTECOST. 

to disgrace our age and accelerate the decay of society. 
Impurity everywhere, until the votaries at her lecher- 
ous shrine now know no shame. They boast of their 
excesses, and glory in their filth, and refuse to reform. 
Are these to be the parents of future society ? Are 
these the ones to whom the perpetuity of the nation 
is to be intrusted ? Are these the ones who will mould 
opinion and direct the ship of a state ? 

" 111 fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, 
Where wealth accumulates and men decay." 

From this terrible state of immorality arises the rash- 
ness and sins of married life. We shall not enter into 
a consideration of the secreted sins which are devas- 
tating society. No ; the daily papers give us, alas ! a 
copious record of public crime, which is of itself suf- 
ficient proof of the degeneracy of modern society. 
What ! can you call any nation moral when her courts 
are overstocked with divorce suits ? The sacredness of 
marriage life is disregarded. The husband or wife, or 
both, living under the influence of modern inconstancy, 
become infected by the immoral spirit of the times. 
They transgress without shame or regret. To silence 
the latter and disguise the former, they appeal to the 
courts. A bill of divorce is granted to this pure wife 
and virtuous husband ! If they are persons of any note, 
the press teems with sensational evidence taken dur- 
ing the trial. Their secret alliance with others, their 
questionable friendship, their escapades, their violation 
of the marriage vow — all break upon the public mind> 
v/hose appetite has grown sharp for such scandalous 
accounts. Do you call this portentous state of society 
chaste ? Do you maintain it is one calculated to pro- 
mote Christianity? Do you call this advanced civili- 
zation ? If so, away with such civilization ! Away 



ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 265 

with such corruption ! Away with this devastat- 
ing influence ! You are striking blows at the pillars 
of society, which are already tottering. The wrath of 
God will be kindled, and visitation will come on the 
nation, as lamentable and destructive as that which befell 
the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrha. 

This unchaste, carnal life begets other enormous sins. 
It is a monster itself, and it gives birth to other monsters 
as heinous as itself. These are murders, suicides, theft, 
embezzlement, and drunkenness, and a whole score of 
other transgressions. These appear to increase in num- 
ber in proportion to theunchastity of the epoch, until 
at the present day, they are as frightful in number as 
they are appalling in their consequences. Ancient 
Rome, upon the verge of her downfall, was not more pol- 
luted than our own country, and our country is no worse 
than some others in this respect. Can this be a Chris- 
tian country ? Should we boast of our Christian civil- 
ization, of our unequalled progress, when these awful 
crimes are so numerous ? when homicides multiply? 
when man and woman in their disappointments, in their 
rage, in their remorse, dare sever the thread of life and 
terminate their own existence ? Human nature, exhaust- 
ed by sin, plunges into the gulf, hoping to sink into 
forgetfulness, and to end forever its existence. But the 
soul survives the shock. The poor soul, sickened by ex- 
cesses, disturbed by perversity, lives to answer for the 
crimes done in the flesh. And the body, too, will suffer 
when reunited to the soul which it tried to destroy. 
Amidst all this disorder, amidst all these abominations, 
who thinks of God? who thinks of His commandments ? 
who hears His voice crying to the deaf and the dumb of 
our age : "You shall not commit adultery. You shall 
not corrupt the innocent. You shall not obtain bills of 



266 ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

divorce. You shall not be another Cain, reddening your 
hands with the blood of your brother. You shall not 
arise in your defiance of My eternal laws and terminate 
the life I gave you" ? Who listens and obeys ? Many, 
we are happy to say ; but millions there are who do not— 
millions whose God is rapine, embezzlement, oppression 
of the poor, and impurity. They do not hear. They 
are deaf ; their deafness is an unmistakable sign of the 
sins of society and its consequent decay. 

Our age is one of extremes ; but these extremes are 
found in wickedness. Evil triumphs, not like the roar- 
ing lion of which St. Paul speaks, but the subtle 
serpent, which charms while it destroys. It is time for 
persons interested in the human race, who wish for the 
reformation of society ; for its purity and elevation, to 
unite with the Catholic Church in beating back this army 
of vice and crime which are the cancers of our period. 
As the new century appears, a new civilization may arise 
upon the ruins of the past — a purer, a more Christian civ- 
ilization. If something is not accomplished to dis- 
sipate the errors of our day, and to banish its sinful 
proclivities, a just God will cease to be patient; He will 
hurl His anathemas at the head of society. Wrath 
shall take the place of mercy, and what He cannot 
accomplish by gentleness, He will execute by severity. 
If the peoples of the earth will not obey Him admon- 
ishing, entreating, threatening, through His divinely con- 
stituted authority, the Catholic Church, He will chastise 
them, and His chastisement will bring the people to their 
senses. If he cannot dissipate the deafness and obstin- 
acy of the intellect ; if He cannot expel the heaviness 
thereof caused by sin ; if He cannot do this, I say, by His 
grace. He will by His revenging, chastising hand, and 
then will the race of man mourn. If the heart, steeled by 



ELiiVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 267 

impurities, is impervious to His touch, if it remain in its 
uncontrite condition — He will melt it into submission 
by the rod of punishment. He is patient ; but His pa- 
tience will not always brook insults. He will conquer the 
proud, sinful spirit of our age, as He often did the ages 
that are passed. 

Endeavor, then, my Christian friends, to be sub- 
missive to the law of God. Be docile. When Jesus 
touches your soul, when His grace removes the deaf- 
ness of your intellect and the dumbness of your heart, 
acknowledge His mercy. Repent for your sins. Do 
not persevere in wickedness, nor associate with in- 
iquity, nor assist in advancing the evils of the age. 
These things bring ruin. These are the qualities of 
degeneracy and the attributes of hell, A noble work is 
yours. It consists in loving and obeying God, and 
co-operating with Him in the conversion of others. 
Pray that God may ever illumine your understanding 
and sever any pernicious sin that fetters your heart ; 
that you may praise Him and publish the beneficence of 
your Saviour and your God Who does all things well. 



TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 



And thy neighbor as thyself, ( Luke x. — 27. ) 

My Dear Friends : This subject is so familiar to you, 
that you are prone to say : " We have heard it often 
expounded. We have considered it ourselves, have 
weighed it closely, and have made it a rule of our lives. 
There is not anything new to be offered on this theme." 
This may be all very true. That it is a trite subject, 
none will deny ; but that everyone obeys this great 
principle, is very questionable. You may sound it to 
its depths ; you may analyze it, — but do you observe, in 
your intercourse with others, this divine command ? 
This is the question to be answered by everyone in his 
own heart. Moreover, after you have conned it over 
in your minds carefully, do you understand it in all its 
bearings ? If you do, I must acknowledge, you have 
been blessed in your researches : for, having considered 
it prudently and having consulted the Doctors of the 
Church upon it, I must admit that the subject affords 
some difficulties. 

You are aware that the lawyer who addressed Our 
Lord did not properly understand whom he may regard 
as his neighbor. "Who is my neighbor," he inquires. 
Jesus cites a case. A man fell among robbers. He was 
left in a critical condition. Two travellers, a Priest 
and a Levite, passed him by without offering any assist- 

268 



TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 269 

ance. A Samaritan, touched at the sight of the 
wounded man, rendered him suitable help. Now our 
Saviour asks the lawyer : " Which of these three, in 
your opinion,' was neighbor to him who fell among the 
robbers," and he answered, the Samaritan. " Go thou 
and do likewise, " was the injunction placed upon the 
lawyer. Hence it appears that the Priest and Levite 
were not neighbors to the wounded man, and the ques- 
tion arises : " Should the unfortunate man, upon his 
recovery, treat them as neighbors ? Should he love 
them as himself? Should he not love his benefactor 
more than those heartless persons who left him alone 
to die ? Does not our Saviour make an implied distinc- 
tion when He puts the question: "Which of these 
three in your opinion, was neighbor to him who fell 
among the robbers ? " You should note, however, that 
the wounded man was a Jew ; that the Jews disliked the 
Samaritans, and held them in contempt. But the good 
Samaritan forgot all this. He forgot that the Jew 
despised him ; forgot that there was any difference 
between thefn. He only thought of his sufferings and 
how to relieve them. Mark now that here you have 
an example of one person doing good to his enemy — 
treating him as he would wished to be treated. And 
Our Lord said to the lawyer, and He says to everyone : 
''Do likewise!' At least we must conclude from this 
that whoever is in want may claim our aid, and that we 
are obliged to assist him, if we are able. That there is 
a difference in the esteem and love due to people, 
needs no illustration ; for duty commands us to love, 
first our parents, then our relatives, and next our friends 
and benefactors. 

At this stage of our remarks, another difficulty may 
present itself. You may ask: "To what extent are 



270 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

we allowed to speak of the faults of others ? " Let 
me say that all the faults or transgressions of the 
human family can be arranged into two classes : 
those which begin and end chiefly with the perpe- 
trator, which usually injures no one but the doer ; 
and those which passed from the doer to another, 
which inflict injury upon another. Let us illustrate 
with a few cases. An example of the first class is 
found in the drunkard. He may be a very good- 
hearted man. It is evident he does good to others but 
wrongs himself. In this class are placed many of the sins 
against charity, and it is wise and charitable never 
to talk unkindly about the unfortunate who belong to 
this category. Persons of the second class may be criti- 
cised, and citicised severely ; still, your criticism must 
be just. Supposing. you have dealt a long time with 
a store-keeper. You have left him considerable money. 
You ask a favor of him. He refuses. Nay, more ; he 
adds insult and injury to refusal. Are you bound to 
continue to deal with him ? By no means. But 
you say, do I not love him less than I did ? In fact, 
it looks as if I hated him. Moreover, am I not 
obliged to love those who wrong me ? Again, here 
is a politician. Allow me to say here that these 
examples are used because they are familiar, and 
have no special application to anyone present. You 
have voted for this man, have often sustained him by 
your influence. You discover at length that he is un- 
worthy of your support — that he is a rascal. Are you 
obliged to give him still your vote? I answer : no, 
you are not. But you love him less. Probably. You 
must remember that every person can use what 
theologians call jus suiim, his right or privilege. 
It is your privilege to purchase goods from whom- 



TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 271 

soever you please, and it's your privilege to vote for 
any person you wish. In this matter, your action 
cannot be, or at least should not be, construed as ha- 
tred to anyone. Can you speak of these wrongs in- 
flicted upon you ? Assuredly you can. Yea, you 
are sometimes obliged to speak about them. Let us 
pursue this thought a little farther. To elucidate this 
point more clearly, suppose a man steals your pocket- 
book or burns your house. Are you going to keep 
silent ? Do you think that charity commands you 
to conceal his crime ? Oh, no, you will say ; and I 
agree with you. Your charity for yourself and the 
community, demands that you denounce him to the 
proper authorities, that his infamy may be punished. 
So it is in all other cases in this class. You are not 
expected to remain mute while your enemy tries to 
trample you down. But again I say to you, you must 
be just. 

There is one thing you must positively avoid. It 
is misrepresentation. You must not venture to tell a 
falsehood about anyone, be he friend or foe. Do not 
imagine you can assail a person with impunity, that 
you can drag down his reputation into the mire of 
abuse, or that you can falsely detract from the honor- 
able estimate which society has formed of him. 
Though he be your enemy, though he be a weakling, 
and you great and important, you dare not misrepre- 
sent him. If}'oudo, you must make reparation. You 
complain of the person who steals your purse, or that 
burns )'our house, but these are paltry considerations 
when compared with a person's reputation. The 
former is incomparably nothing when compared with 
the latter. 

You sometimes see two who are warm friends. 



272 TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

But winds of contention blow upon them. Storms 
of anger break forth. They are as dishonorable in their 
abuse of each other as they were apparently sincere 
in their friendship. Every fault or affliction or mis- 
fortune which befell either one for half a century, is 
reviewed. They are like two rapid-fire guns hurling 
at each other volumes of bitterest invective, and 
whether they are men or women, by their warfare they 
prove how small and mean they are. One will say: *' I 
knew him when he was a drunkard. I saw him fall 
into a gutter. His clothes were in tatters, his face 
in a horrible condition. Behold him now — how stately 
he walks, how pompous he has become ! " Would you 
not prefer to see him advance in the social scale than 
see him forever in disorder ? Ought you not rejoice 
in seeing a person building himself up and becoming 
a respectable man ? Should you not thank God for 
giving him the strength to reform and the resolution 
to remain a sober, honest man ? Others will speak of 
secrets intrusted to them in the time of sorrow. They 
hesitate not to violate confidence and betray friendship. 
The deeper they wound the heart, the greater is their 
rejoicement ; but the arrow which wounds, poisons 
the archer. He makes himself contemptible in the eyes 
of the community. He displays the perfidy of his own 
black heart, and honest men and women should avoid 
such characters. 

When your enemy is in trouble, do not rejoice. Al- 
ways protect yourself against his assaults ; still, never 
stoop so low as to attack him when he is down. When 
disaster has prostrated him at your feet, when he is in 
your grasp, do not be so devilish as to assault him then. 
He is now an object of your pity, not your revenge. 
Be the good Samaritan. Bend over him kindly. Pour 



TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 273 

into his wounds the wine and oil of kind words. Obey 
the injunction of Our Lord: '' Go thou and do in like 
manner^ You will thereby demonstrate that you pos- 
sess truly a human heart. You will be greater in your 
kindness than you can be in any revenge you could 
take of a fallen foe. Moreover, your enemy may not 
be all to blame. You cannot know the details of 
everything. Indeed, we may say you do not know the 
details of anything. You learn from history and 
Sacred Scripture, that God makes use of one nation to 
chastise another, and one individual to rebuke an 
other. Your offence against God may be of such a 
nature as to call for chastisement, and God uses your 
so-called enemy as an instrument of punishment. 
You are chastened. Your obstinacy subdued, your 
proud head bowed, you return to God, imploring His 
aid and counsel. You are converted. You are again 
sanctified by the grace of God, and all through your 
enemy. You have suffered ; but your reward more than 
compensates for your heart-aches. Again, an enemy 
improves our intellect. He compels us to study per- 
sons and things closer than we would otherwise do. 
He makes us sagacious. By means of him, we gather 
an abundance of experience. We grow wiser and 
more cautious under his training ; and with the assist- 
ance of God, we shall triumph, and our enemy with- 
draw with his banner trailing in the dust. Let us then 
be brave in the struggle, but honorable to the con- 
quered foeman. Let us be kind to our enemy when 
affliction shackles him. Let us beg God that we may 
know ourselves and appreciate what others are. Let 
us cultivate in our hearts the spirit of the good Sa- 
maritan. 



THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but 
this stranger. (St. Luke xvii. — 18.) 

My Dear Friends : Vou may be astonished at the 
behavior of the nine lepers. You may condemn them 
for their ingratitude, and call them vile ingrates. It is 
wonderful that they did not return and thank their great 
Benefactor. When they saw themselves clean, when 
they felt that health once more animated their bodies, it 
is wonderful, I say, that the enthusiasm of their hearts 
did not compel them to hasten back to the divine 
Physician, and prostrated before Him, pour forth their 
souls in happy expressions of joy and thanksgiving. 
But only one returned. There was onl\' one who had 
greatness of soul, only one who had magnanimity of 
heart to be grateful. 

How forgetful ! you will say ; how disthankful ! 
The least they could do, you will maintain, was to 
thank God for His beneficence. This would be natural, 
in your estimation ; for everyone should esteem his 
friend, and be grateful to his benefactor. Still, judg- 
ing from observation and experience, judging from 

the actual manifestations of ingratitude, gratefulness 

374 



THIKTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 275 

appears to be unnatural. The most of people are 
ungrateful. In the example given us to-day, we find 
there was only one in ten who was thankful, while 
intercourse with society demonstrates that the pro- 
portion of ingrates is even greater than this. From 
these data }'ou may conclude that gratitude is 
unnatural. It cannot be denied, however, that there 
is a criterion of human judgment, a feeling of the 
heart which recoils at the rehearsal of ingratitude, and 
the soul is oppressed when suffering from the unkind- 
ness of a should-be friend. What is the cause of this 
base, unthankful behavior ? You need hardly be told 
that it is selfishness — selfishness which dams up the 
noble fountains of the heart, sullying the currents of 
human life, created by Almighty God to fructify the 
soul of man. God did not intend it to be so ; and if 
the heart becomes insensible to the debts which it owes, 
the fault is not attributable to God, but to our own 
narrowness and meanness of character. 

At least, favor should be repaid by favor. It is well 
to return good for evil. But what think you of those 
who compensate kindness with injury and insult ? One 
good turn deserves another ; yet how^ often has this 
proverb failed ! How often the contrary happens ! 
How often does a benefactor feel the darts of ingrati- 
tude ! The memory of kindness bestowed is written 
upon sand, and the winds of selfishness soon oblit- 
erate that memory. How quickly the nine lepers 
forgot their Benefactor ! Health now animates their 
bodies, and ingratitude supplants the cry for help. The 
gift bestowed does not make them greater of heart, 
though it makes them sound of body. In the affairs 
of life, this result of conferring gifts is ofttimes notice- 
able. It pervades all classes of society. The opulent 



276 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

overlook the Author of their wealth, and the poor for- 
get likewise the Author of their health. 

Ungratefulness can be easily observed among Cath- 
olics. They go to confession ; the leprosy of their souls 
is healed, but they are not sufficiently mindful of the 
beneficence conferred by Jesus in the Sacrament of 
Penance. Before confession, they cry to Jesus for 
mercy. The leprosy of the soul afflicts them. They 
experience the depressing, agonizing pain of sin. The 
soul is dreary. Embarrassment intensifies the dreari- 
ness. Despondency, perhaps, is near, increasing or trjang 
to increase the penalty of sin. The spirit is oppressed, 
and in its anguish pleads : ''Jesus, Master, have mercy 
on me!' Jesus comforts the soul. Strength is given to 
overcome the frailty of nature. Resolution to make a 
good confession conquers despondency. The grace of 
God is influencing the soul, and Jesus answers the 
forlorn entreaty by saying : " Go show yourselves to the 
priest!' The penitent approaches the tribunal of God's 
mercy. The blood of Jesus answers the cry of grief, 
and the soul is replenished with beauty and hope and 
joy. Sin is banished. The gloom of the soul gives 
place to buoyancy of heart. The sinner is again an 
acknowledged heir to heaven and a child of the 
Sacred Heart. But mark you. Oh, corroding ingrati- 
tude ! The penitent hastens from the church. Scarcely 
a moment is given to thank God for His untold favors. 
O cleansed leper ! O purified soul ! can you be so in- 
sensible as not to remember your miseries and your 
wretchedness of a few moments ago ? In your joyful- 
ness of heart, do you in this manner forget the One Who 
converted your sadness into joy and your sighs into 
peace ? Out the penitent goes. Ah ! frail human 
creature, you have no time to kneel before your Saviour 



THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 277 

in the tabernacle and in the fervor of your gratitude pour 
out gratefully your heart in thanksgiving. No, not even 
a few minutes to give expression to that gratefulness 
which should animate your soul. Are joy and peace 
and good fortune the enemies of gratitude ? Do they 
parch the heart and dry up the springs of affectionate 
remembrance. It may, in part, be true that prosperity 
is a barren, desolating air, famishing the great fruits of 
the heart ; but still, such penitents can hardly be excused 
on account of such mitigating conditions. Nay, say 
rather that ignorance is the cause, and that ingrati- 
tude springs from ignorance ; and that ignorance and 
ingratitude have their habitation in a heart unschooled 
in beauty, sublimity, and gratefulness. Lest you may 
misunderstand me, I would add that by ignorance 
is not meant illiteracy or the other concomitants of 
poverty ; for wealth and learning are not seldom 
ungrateful to the eternal Dispenser of all things. 

Such a penitent comes the following morning to 
receive Holy Communion. On the previous evening 
some extenuating reasons might have been presumed 
in excuse for his haste. But now see him on Sunday 
morning standing outside the door, gazing at this one 
and that. Why does he not enter the church, and pro- 
strated before God, thank His Divine Master for the 
blessing conferred in the Sacrament of Penance ? Why 
does he not prepare his soul for a saintly greeting to 
His Lord and Redeemer, when this Redeemer comes to 
visit him ? You do not know ? Well, I do not wonder. 
His conduct is so absurd and vexatious, that it is not 
easy to assign a reason for his coldness of spirit, unless 
you ascribe his woful condition to stupidity and in- 
gratitude. 

After Mass, does he remain in the church to speak to 



278 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

His Saviour words of gratitude ? Does he recognize 
that Jesus has come to him to dwell as a guest ? Does 
he linger in the temple of God to entertain his august 
Visitor ? Alas ! he does not. Pity of pity, that his 
heart is so ribbed with steel, that it cannot expand with 
one loving, one affectionate, one grateful emotion 
of thanksgiving ! How great have been the mercies 
bestowed upon this penitent, and apparently how lowly 
he estimates them ! He does not know enough to be 
thankful. Were I to see him before Mass time and 
request him to go into the church, he would become 
enraged at my audacity. But this rage is a deformed 
child of ingratitude, and the heart which nurtures both 
must be a desolate waste. 

Now, might not Jesus say to such a person : " I did 
more for you than I did for the lepers. At baptism I 
robed you in the garment of spotless innocence. I 
formed a covenant with you — gave you a guarantee of 
eternal happiness. The only condition demanded, was 
that you should keep your part of the contract. When 
you violated this, when you rendered it null by your 
transgressions, I took you by the hand, and led you to 
the regenerating Sacrament of Penance. I there re- 
newed the bond between us, forgave you every infringe- 
ment of the contract ; nay, more, I fed you with My 
own Body and Blood. I did more for you than mother 
ever did for her child. How have you repaid Me ? 
Your thanks were ingratitude and your prayer blas- 
phemy. You have abused My gifts, you have dese- 
crated My name, you have outrageously broken the 
contract in every way which your malice could invent 
or your powers accomplish. And now, again, when I 
have pardoned you all, you have not gratitude enough 
to thank Me." Thus vour Saviour could address many 



THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 279 

a Catholic. Is it not a shame that any penitent acts 
in this base manner ? What monstrous ingratitude ! 
What stupid insensibility !' 

Be grateful, then, one to another. Be grateful to your 
God for all His gifts. Ingratitude bespeaks a narrow 
soul, a small, sneaking, selfish heart. People will soon 
spot the ingrate, the cute, sly, cunning knave who not 
only looks to his own interests, but will forsake a friend, 
or barter honor or betray confidence — do anything, to 
accomplish his designs. Beware of him or her ! Neither 
is to be trusted. Again, ingratitude leads not to great- 
ness in any sphere of life ; nor does the ingrate achieve 
notable success. The noble elements of society are 
against him ; and how can he expect to win, if He Who 
rules the destinies of men is not with him ? Can you 
imagine an ingrate giving the enrapturing touch of 
genius to a picture ? Can you conceive him giving life 
to the marble and developing thereon the ennobling 
virtues of heart and soul ? Ah ! no ; it would be as 
easy to imagine a brute of the field accomplishing so 
grand a work of art. 

Be thankful, therefore, that your soul may expand 
under the magic influence of gratitude. Be thankful 
for every favor, and be slow, very slow to forget any 
act of kindness conferred upon you. Especially be 
grateful to your God, and be forever mindful of the 
gratitude owed to Him. St. Augustine happily re- 
marks : " We cannot carry in our hearts anything bet- 
ter, nor pronounce with the lips, nor express with the 
pen, than thanks be to God. Man cannot say anything 
shorter, hear anything more pleasing, understand any- 
thing greater, nor do anything more fruitful, than this." 
Be thankful to God, I repeat ; your gratitude will bear 
fruit, and God will exalt you for your mindfulness of 



280 THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

His gifts. Be not an ingrate ; for as St. Bernard beauti- 
fully tells us : " Ingratitude is a parching wind, drying 
up the fountains of good, and receiving not the dews 
of mercy nor the floods of grace." Let us conclude 
with the words of the Psalmist : " My soul, praise the 
Lord and never forget His beneficence T ( Ps. cii. ) 



FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



Seek ye J therefoj-Cj first the kingdom of God and His 
Justice J and all these things shall be added unto vou. (St, 
Matt. vi. — s$.) 

My Dear Friends : In our age, indeed in every age, 
many have neglected to follow this salutary admoni- 
tion. But as the ages passed are registered in the 
annals of the dead, it behooves us to consider its 
application to the society of the present period. Were 
the people of the earth to observe this divine injunc- 
tion, many of the ills of life would disappear. There 
would be an equilibrium established among the various 
grades of society — an equilibrium produced by a 
scrupulous observance of this day's Gospel, an equili- 
brium bringing joy to the hearts of everyone. There 
would be no defamation of character ; there would be 
no theft, no corruption among the officials of state, nor 
drunkenness among the lowly. Ever}" man would be 
honest, every man would be truthful, every man would 
be a Christian. The soul would soar to the centre of 
its gravity, Almighty God. Its aspirations would be 
moored in the bosom of His justice. Harmony would 
reign among the different nations of the earth, and 
tranquillity would nurse the feverish elements of society 
into healthful peace. 

281 



282 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTEOOSl^. 

All this may seem to you chimerical — an Ethiopian 
dream. But can you deny its truth ? It is evident 
that such is not the condition of society ; but the fault 
is ours. Man does not obey the instructions of his 
Maker, and the result of his disobedience is misery. 
You cannot truthfully deny that mankind would 
repose in profiable peace were he to seek for the 
kingdom of God and His justice. Were everyone to 
centre his ambition in Almighty God ; were everyone 
to seek Him as the first great motive of life, — then no 
one could wrong another. You may say, however, 
that such ambition would destroy enterprise, would 
impoverish commerce, would effeminate the race. Yes, 
if embezzlement, chicanery, deceit, treachery, and 
oppression stabilitate enterprise, sustain commerce, and 
give intellect and sinew to the race. Then, indeed, 
what you say may be true ; but it is false. Do not 
think that seeking first the kingdom of God and His 
justice will make you idlers. In the Gospel read to 
you there is nothing incompatible to industry. Does 
not God speak the truth ? Does He not know what is 
beneficial to your welfare ? Or will He advise you 
contrar}^ to your best interests ? There is no contra- 
diction between the decree uttered by Almighty God 
after the fall of our first parents and that expressed by 
His Divine Son, Jesus Christ. The former declared 
that man must earn his bread by the sweat of his 
brow, the latter exhorts us to seek first the kingdom of 
God and His justice. There is no contradiction here. 
The declaration of our Saviour does not abnegate the 
order given to Adam. It stimulates it — it makes the 
reward of that sweat, of that toil, meritorious here and 
hereafter. It directs it in its legitimate course, doing 
injury to nobody, but improving the condition of all. 



I'OURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 283 

Mark, our Saviour says : You ca?inot serve two mas- 
ters. This is true, because our Divine Lord said it, and 
this truth is verified bv every- day experience. You 
cannot serve two masters. You cannot serve God and 
money at the same time. Nor can you serve God and 
literature, or the sciences, or anything else. Note, He 
does not say that these things are incompatible to the 
service of God. He does not say you cannot serve 
God and possess wealth, be the wealth that of money, 
science, art, or distinction. No ; but He says you 
cannot serve these things and Him. Every great 
emotion of the heart, every lofty aspiration, should be 
to Him ; and having offered to Him the first fruits of 
our hearts and our souls and our labor, then we should 
toil assiduously to earn an honest living. The advan- 
tage of such a mode of action is clear to everyone who 
gives himself the trouble to think. 

How kind it is on the part of our Saviour to instruct 
us so wisely ! and how prudent is that person who is 
guided by such wisdom ! You will, upon reflection, 
admit that it is most advantageous to follow such a 
guide. For is it not foolish for man to forget or aban- 
don his God in the aquisition of temporal goods? His 
whole heart — his very life — is concentrated on these 
things. His soul is agitated; he undertakes every ardu- 
ous task, exposes himself to every danger to secure the 
perishable, while he disregards the everlastin g, his 
immortal soul. For these things he turns from God. 
He cares not whether there is a God or not. He has 
no regard for any person. He will be an oppressor, 
if he can, were such a thing necessary for his success. 
And now the question arises, how long will he enjoy 
these possessions ? He knows not. He may forfeit 
his life in the attempt to acquire them. One thing is 



284 FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

certain, he will not have them long. He must die ; and 
who will mourn his loss? Who will pray for him ? Who, 
with a grateful remembrance, will besiege the throne of 
mercy in his behalf ? Why, he did not pray for himself! 
He deserted Almighty God ! Can he expect that others 
will be more charitable toward him than he was to 
himself ? Can he confidently implore for mercy from 
God, Whom he despised? Will he find mercy, who 
never manifested it toward himself or others ? He dies ; 
he is forgotten. How wisely, then, it is to seek first 
the kingdom of God and His justice. 

Do not think, however, that the rich always depart 
from God. A man may possess massive wealth, and 
still be poor in spirit, while the poor may hunger after 
riches — may make their few dollars their God. As St. 
Bernard says: " The covetous man hungers after riches, 
and is a slave; the believer despises them, and is a lord. 
The former in his possession is a beggar, the latter, 
despising them, keeps them." He keeps them in sub- 
jection; he does not allow them to become his master or 
himself their slave. He rules over them; he has only 
one master, and that One is his God. According to the 
rules prescribed by that Master, he acquires his goods, 
and he employs them to his own advantage and for the 
assistance of others. Truly this person is a lord. He 
manages his affairs as though he controlled them. 

Again, my Christian friends, were mankind universally 
to obey the divine exhortation to seek the justice of God 
first, what harmony, what prosperity, what peace 
would we not enjoy ! Banks would not fail — plundering 
the public, and destroying both confidence and credit. 
There would be no embezzlement. Dishonesty would 
hide itself. Suicide would be unknown. Justice would 
expel corruption. Our State legislatures would not be 



FOURTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 285 

bought nor sold. The Senate and House of Representa- 
tives of the nation would be composed of honorable, 
honest, patriotic men. They would be the pride and 
the boast of our country. Their great ambition would 
be to enhance the glory of the nation, to enforce the 
equity of her laws, and perpetuate her greatness ! They 
would deserve and obtain not only the gratitude of 
their constituencies, but unborn generations would 
admire while they would perpetuate their memories ! 
Moreover, there would be no strikes; capital would not 
oppress labor, and labor would respect capital. Each 
would acknowledge and protect the interests of the 
other. The employer would love his men, and his men 
love him in return. They would all be Christian men, 
all striving for the great end of life — endless happiness 
and peace with their God. Conflict would yield to 
peace. Peace would beget prosperity. Prosperity 
would bestow with a kindly hand an abundance upon 
all. Nor would this happy state generate indolence; 
for God forbids sloth. He encourages industry and 
activity, research and acquisitions. God Who is pure 
act, Who is eternal activity, could not favor indolence, 
sloth, or idleness. 

Our Saviour impresses the importance of His instruc- 
tion on us by calling our attention to the lily. Solomon, 
in the richness of his robes, was not so well attired as 
one of these. The birds of the air, the grass of the 
field, are vivid examples of God's providence. And is 
not the life more than the raiment ? Is not the soul of 
more importance than any temporal wealth ? The im- 
mortal soul, created to the image and likeness of its 
God, deserves not to be hampered by the things of 
earth, but live for its Creator. Besides, might not the 
Son of God, in citing these illustrations of His provi- 



286 FOUETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

dence, point to the universe ; might He not have said : 
" Behold the heavens and the earth ! behold the count- 
less worlds around you ! behold the wonders at your 
feet ! study the motions of these spheres ; reflect upon 
the magnificence around you ; see everything cared for, 
see everything performing its duty. Man only, an in- 
telligent being, dares to violate My laws — dares to 
disregard his duties. But his violations produce dis- 
cord, and discord will have its punishment." You need 
no illustration to understand all this. You see how 
everything is preserved. You observe the eternal 
vigilance of God, watching over the universe. No spar- 
row falls to the ground without His knowledge ; no 
spire of grass withers without His omniscience noting 
its decay. Every act of injustice, every disorder, every 
sin, is known to Him. Why not have confidence in 
Him ? Why not believe Him ? Why not obey His 
commands and exhortations by seeking first the king- 
dom of God and His justice ? For, blessed are those 
who hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall be 
filled — filled with tranquillity, during their sojourn on 
earth, filled with never-ceasing joys in the mansions of 
their Eternal Father. 



FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST- 



And ivhen He came, nigh to the gate of the city, behold a 
dead ma7i was carried out^ the only son of his mother ; and 
she was a widow. ( St, Luke vii. — 12.) 

My Dear Friends : To-day a mournful spectacle is 
presented for your consideration — a marvellous scene 
indeed. Jesus is approacing the city of Naim. His 
disciples and a large multitude are with Him. The 
Redeemer of the world — the Son of God — is on foot. 
He is probably weary after His journey, for He has no 
magnificent coach in which He may ride. As He 
wearily proceeds, lamentations break upon His ears- 
Soon the cause of these mournful sounds appears. A 
dead man is carried out through the gate of the city. 
He is the only son of his mother, and she is a widow. 
Her heart is breaking with grief. Her aged form is 
bent with affliction. Hot tears course down her pale 
cheeks. There in the coffin lies all her hope, all her 
consolation. She loved him intensely ; and now that 
he is dead, every fibre of her heart is interwoven 
with his in the coffin. She must be a good woman, and 
her son must have been a good young man ; for she 
has the sympathy of her acquaintances and neighbors. 
They feel for her, as people are wont to feel for one 
who is universally beloved. They compassionate her 
- ^87 



288 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

sufferings. They commingle their sighs and lamen- 
tations with hers. With sad hearts they accompany her 
on this sorrowful journey ; but just as they pass through 
the portals of the gate, our Saviour appears in view. 
His tender heart is touched at the sight, and he bids 
her weep no more. Approaching the bier, He bade the 
young man to rise ; and he who was dead sat up and 
began to speak. Gently did this greatest of benefac- 
tors bestow upon the mother her lost child. Verily, in 
this case, was sorrow turned into joy, and mourning into 
comfort. 

You pity the widow's grief and you rejoice at her 
good fortune. Your hearts are drawn nearer to Jesus 
Who gave such proof of His affection for poor suffering 
humanity. But have you not heard of things more 
sorrowful ? Nay, have you not seen spectacles more 
mournful ? There are thousands of them. Had the 
widow of Naim beheld her beloved child laid to rest 
in the cold earth, she would know he was in peace as 
far as the affairs of this life appertained to him. But 
is this so with every mother. Are there not mothers 
who have often wished their sons in the grave ? How 
many a mother, with a heart swelling with grief, has 
prayed that God would take her erring son ! She loves 
him, and once he was the source of all her joy. In him 
all her hopes were centred. He would be the solace of 
her old age. She would never want, for she would have 
in him a constant support when the weight of years and 
infirmities would come upon her. He would close her 
aged eyes when the hand of death fell heavy upon her. 
He would kindly lay her to rest alongside of his father. 
He would pray for her, because he was a faithful boy, 
full of greatest promise ; but how sadly she is deceived ! 
Her son, her faithful boy, her unequalled boy, soon 



FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 289 

mingles with bad associates. His downward course is 
at first slow. He remains out late at night. She notes 
this ; still she loves him so much that she hesitates to 
reprove him. He grows worse, and instead of comfort- 
ing her age, he multiplies the silvery locks of care and 
anxiety. She prays for him, weeps for him, implores 
him to refrain from bad company. At first he listens. 
He promises to be good ; but, alas ! he has already 
imbibed the poisons which will bring her sorrow and 
himself ruin. Sleepless nights she spends, watching for 
his return, fearing some misfortune will befall him ; 
trembling lest in some row he may be wounded or killed. 
She entreats him to reform, begs of him not to bring 
disgrace upon himself and her. Tells him of his dead 
father, and invokes him in the name of the departed to 
withdraw from the vile resorts in which he squanders 
his time and his health. But her affectionate words 
now fall upon a stony heart and leave no impression. 

Why does he not heed ? Has he not the nerve of 
heart and the resolution to say : " So far I have gone, 
but no farther. I shall avoid this company. I shall 
regard my mother's tears. I shall be a man " ? But 
his nervous system is wasted from excessive indulgence. 
His will is weakened by numerous broken promises. 
He is a slave. There he lies, prostrated, a slave ! A 
degraded slave ! His enemies look upon him with 
contempt. They ridicule him ! Mock him ! They 
have triumphed ! Their efforts could not have pro- 
duced better results, and his fall could not have been 
more loathsome. The mother sees this, and it increases 
her anguish. Her child debased, ruined, and his ene- 
mies exulting. What a sight for a mother's heart to 
contemplate ! Drinking, gambling, bad company have 
had their ruinous effects. 



290 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

Still his wretchedness does not stop here. In his 
crazy state, he commits some nefarious crime, is 
dragged before the public gaze and thrown into prison. 
The news of his crime and imprisonment reaches the 
ears of his sorrowful mother. Her son in a felon's cell ! 
His name published far and wide ! His crime upon 
everyone's lips !^ Once her hope, once her pride, now 
the cause of her unspeakable grief and unnumbered 
tears. What tongue can describe the anguish which 
tears her heart ! Those sighs, those sobs, are the 
most fitting expression of her sorrows. 

How often did our Divine Lord touch the young man's 
conscience. How often did He bid him rise and speak 
again the words of boyhood, the prayers he had learned, 
that He might restore him again to the arms of his 
mother. How often in the stillness of night did this 
Saviour whisper to him, telling him of his aged mother, 
of her grief, of her love ; but it was all no use. He 
commanded the dead to rise, and the coffined dust 
assumed new life. The planets in their orbs obey His 
orders. They keep their regular motions. The flowers 
blossom and exhale their perfumes ; all obey the divine 
mandate, except man. An intelligent being refuses, 
and God Himself cannot reform the young man 
unless that young man consent, unless he co-operate 
with heavenly grace. God has blessed him with 
free will, and the Creator must respect His gift. 

Do you think this portrait is overdrawn ? Do you 
hesitate to believe that such misfortunes have befallen 
any mother or any son ? Do you conclude that all this 
is an exaggeration ? I am sure, if you only reflect ; or if 
you only read the daily papers, you will be convinced of 
the sad truths which I have attempted to depict ; nay, 
more : I am persuaded that you have been eye-witnessea 



FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 291 

of greater calamity. For my part, I know worse. I 
have known a mother to be dying, and while in the throes 
of death, inquired about her son — inquired because she 
feared he was in the clutch of some trouble. I whis- 
pered to the attendant not to tell her ; for he was in the 
neighboring saloon, intoxicated and boisterous in his 
drunkenness. She dying, her last breath is a sigh for 
him ! He is so benumbed from dissipation, that he cares 
not for his mother's dying prayer ! What agony in the 
moment of death ! What affection on the part of the 
mother ! What degraded stupidity on the part of the 
son ! I have known, too, where a mother went to the 
penitentiary to receive the dead body of her son who 
was a criminal, and in the Union Depot at Pittsburg met 
her other son shackled to a sheriff, on his way to the 
same prison. 

It is unnecessary to multiply examples. You all have 
seen sad human wrecks, with all the miseries they entail. 
Fortunes squandered. I do not mean pecuniary for- 
tunes, but fortunes more valuable. Fortunes of in- 
tellect, fortunes of heart, fortunes of parental affection, 
fortunes of opportunity ! Alas, what stupendous loss ! 
And what gain ? A criminal garb in a state prison, a 
photograph in Rogues' Gallery ! Marked as if he were 
another Cain. Shamed by men. Ah, what a lesson for 
young men, yea, for old men, too ! With what zeal they 
should avoid bad company ! How they should fortify 
themselves with the safeguards of religion, that they 
may not plunder themselves of the grace and intel- 
lectual gifts bestowed upon them by their God. 

With what unremitting vigilance should parents, 
therefore, watch over their children ! What good ex- 
amples should be furnished them ! How they should 
be trained to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to 



292 rrpTEENTH Sunday after pentecost. 

say their prayers morning and night, to receive fre- 
quently the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Euchar- 
ist. After these, give them a few good books to read. 
Many, if you can afford it. These are good companions. 
These will never betray them. These will be anchors 
holding them from vicious associates. From these 
they will imbibe new, elevating ideas. In these they 
will hold converse with exalted minds. By these they 
will be moulded to meet life successfully, honorably, 
and courageously. Instead of becoming a scourge to 
their parents, instead of being a scandal to others and 
disgrace to themselves, they will be the pride of their 
parents, the true supporters of society, honorable 
citizens, and faithful children of the Church ! 



SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTERPENTECOST. 



They were watching Him. (Luke xiv. — i.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Lord is the great 
Instructor. He takes every opportunity to teach 
humanity. Now He employs certain methods, again 
He will use different ones ; but all aiming at the same 
object — the instruction of mankind. At the time to 
which the Sacred Scriptures this morning refer, you 
see Him visit a prince of the Pharisees. They are 
undoubtedly, so far as appearances go, delighted by 
His visit. They show many marks of respect. They 
are all attention. Probably they attempt to flatter 
Him. All this time they are disguising their real 
purpose. They wish to know whether He will heal 
on the Sabbath. If He do, then He cannot be a true 
prophet, for prophets do not violate the sacred law 
of God by a desecration of the Lord's day. A man 
afflicted by the dropsy stands before our Saviour. 
He knows, too, that it is the Sabbath, but like most 
people afflicted by disease, he longs to be well, and is 
entirely content to be healed on the Sabbath, though 
some hypocrites may think that an act of divine 
clemency in his favor would be a violation of God's 
commandment, and so they watch Him. They are 
fault-finders. They are desirious to seize the slightest 

293 



294 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 

pretext to underrate His charity and challenge His 
authority. By an act of divine mercy, the man is 
cured. They are witnesses of this miracle, but say 
nothing, although they think much. Jesus, knowing 
their thoughts, answered: " Which of you would have an 
ox or an ass fall into a pit on the Lord's day, and 
would 7tot try to save him f " You observe that there 
are two lessons taught by this miracle. First, acts of 
charity are always in season ; and second, do not censure 
in others the things you would do yourselves ; — in other 
words, do not mask your hypocrisy by a sanctimonious 
exterior. 

Now I would say to you : watch your Divine Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. Not for the purpose of finding 
fault, or questioning His goodness, but to imitate His 
heavenly virtues. Learn of Him to ascend toward 
perfection. " Be perfect^ asyourheave?ily Father is perfect!' 
This is the Christian life. This it is which lifts you 
above the strife and turmoil of earthly things, which 
directs your ambition toward your great Teacher and 
Model, Jesus Christ. It is customary for persons 
who desire to ascend to success, to study the requisites 
necessary for such advancement. They must ponder 
well the principles which constitute the tide which bears 
others on to prosperity. If they would succeed, they 
must have models after which they fashion their lives. 
If a person desires wealth, he studies the life of some 
one who has acquired a great fortune. All his business 
principles are thoroughly examined. Everything 
which conduced to his prosperity is carefully weighed. 
Nothing is left to chance. Thus the man ambitious for 
riches shapes his conduct after his chosen model. 
A student who aims to attain to a high degree of 
eloquence, has his model. He studies the illustrious 



SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 295 

orators of ancient and modern times. Every sentence 
is analyzed. Every thought considered. All his pene- 
tration, long years of toil, are employed to find out the 
secret of their powers, to learn where the magic of their 
power resides — that power which swayed the intellects 
of thousands, that genius which has made their elo- 
quence imperishable. In a similiar way does the pain- 
ter who paints for immortality, toil. He visits the 
birth-places of famous artists ; he critically examines 
those painters whose productions have rendered them 
famous. He endeavors to detect that master-touch 
which gives such life to the canvass. He absorbs, as 
far as he is able, these models, these grand conceptions 
of rare genius. Nor is the man of humbler pretensions 
exempt, if he purposes to succeed. The farmer, too, 
must have his model. He must observe what success- 
ful farmers have done ; what it is which have rendered 
them notable for their prosperity. Every successful 
person is necessitated to learn from the experience of 
others. In a word, he m.ust have a model. What, then, 
is the model for a Catholic ? For a Catholic who 
wishes to attain to Christian perfection ? Is it not 
Jesus, his great Instructor ? A Christian life should 
arise transcendentally above the sordid themes of earth. 
His conduct should be the mirror of his soul, the 
reflector of those great virtues which emanate from his 
Lord and Model. 

If one desires to be a successful farmer, he ought to 
be a practical Christian ; for it is from his great Model 
that blessing comes which crowns his toil with an abun- 
dant harvest. If one desires to be an illustrious orator, 
Jesus should be his model. To a distinguished orator, 
great virtue is necessary. His soul must be permeated 
with all the exalted virtues. He must be imbued with 



296 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

a true sense of justice. The cry of suffering humanity 
must awaken the loftiest emotions of equity. His soul 
must vibrate with love for others, a hatred for oppres- 
sion, indignation at wrong, and abhorrence for bribery. 
He must be the defender of the weak, the scourge of 
defrauders, the promoter of morality. He must be 
moulded by the hands of virtue. He must be an honest 
man, an honorable man, a Christian man. It is these 
qualities which give vivacity and vigor to his words ; it 
is these which impress the seal of genius upon his elo- 
quence. Where will we find these exalted virtues ? 
Who will be his model ? Need I tell you it is Jesus, the 
Preceptor of the human race ? Does an artist aspire to 
celebrity ? Does he long to rival those celebrated mas- 
ters whose extraordinary skill is the admiration of the 
world, whose works are as everlasting as the human 
race on earth ? Then Jesus must be his model. From 
Him he must draw his inspiration. Those renowned 
masters w^ere religious men. Who but a devout Cath- 
olic could produce that matchless painting from 
the brush of Titian, the Assumption of the Blessed 
Virgin. That glorious work which reflects the virtue 
and the genius of that wonderful painter, could not be 
produced by an irreligious man ; that grand, that pure 
conception could only be born in the soul of a man as 
remarkable for his piety as for the grandeur of his 
ideal. What absorbing thoughts ! How exalted must 
have been his heart to conceive such a marvel of purity ! 
He seems to have lived in heaven, to have basked in the 
very bosom of his divine Model from Whom he drank 
his inspiration. Those great Catholic artists were fre- 
quent communicants. They lived in a spirit of sanctity. 
In order that their productions would breath forth 
spirituality, they were pure themselves. It was this 



SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 297 

that gave the touch of genius to their paintings. It 
was this that has made them immortal. 

Thus it is, my Christian friends, — thus it is in every 
sphere of life ; Jesus should be your Model. You will 
lose nothing by it, but gain much. Watch your eternal 
Model. Pattern your life after His. Do you desire to 
be prudent, then learn of Him Who so aptly replied to 
His enemies : " Whose image and superscriptio7i is 
this ? It is Ccesars. Then render to Ccesar the thhigs 
that belong to Ccesar, and to God the thi?igs that belong 
to God!' Do you want to be wise ? Then behold your 
Model at the age of twelve years, disputing with the 
doctors in the synagogue at Jerusalem. Would you be 
industrious ? Observe how studious Jesus was. Would 
you cultivate patience ? Note His inexhaustible pa- 
tience. Do your former friends give you a cold 
shoulder, even ridicule you ? Be patient, and look at 
Jesus scourged at the pillar and crowned with thorns 
in derision. Have you suffered the rebuffs of ill-fortune, 
or does adversity still hover, with his dismal mantel, 
over you ? Is the last glimmer of your star of hope 
setting in the murky storms of despair, — behold your 
Model nailed to the cross ! With extended arms He 
welcomes you. The drops of sacred blood trickling 
from His wounds, tell you of His love. He is your 
hope. You will never perish in despair while you keep 
Him as your Model. Do you find it hard to forgive 
your enemies ? Then listen to your Model dying at the 
hands of His torturers, — '* Father, forgive them ; for they 
knozv not what they do!' 

Imitate Him. Surely He is deserving of you. To 
be a true follower of Christ is indeed the sincere 
Christian's glory. How many have imitated Him, and 
are now in heaven. Thev abandoned the so-called 



298 SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

pleasure of this transitory life. They could see no hap- 
piness without Him. They drew their inspiration from 
Him. Among His imitators are found the greatest 
scholars, the most celebrated masters in science, liter- 
ature, and art. The saints and martyrs were His 
followers, while His blessed Mother reflected His glory 
and His divinity. Imitate Jesus, then, I beseech you ; 
let Him be your great Model. From Him learn the 
noblest lesson in life, namely, the act of living and 
dying in His friendship. You will be the happier, the 
more contented, the more successful for your imitation. 
Watch Him ; watch Him, not as the Jews did ; but 
watch Him to imitate Him, to rise to Him, and to pat- 
tern your every act according to these examples which 
He gave you. 



SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST 



And the second is like to this : thou shalt love thy neighbor 
as thyself. ( St. Math. xxii. — 39.) 

My Dear Friends : These words were spoken by no 
less a person than the Son of God. They are trans- 
mitted to us by the inspired writer, St. Matthew, and 
taught by our holy Church. Having such authority, 
they are deserving of your serious attention. Repeat- 
edly you have listened to sermons upon those two 
great commandments, from which dependeth the law 
and the prophets : " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
with thy whole heart and with thy whole sold and with 
all thy stre7igth, and thou shalt love thy 7ieighbor as thyself 
But have you drawn useful lessons from them ? Have 
you modeled your lives according to these precepts 
so vast in importance and so beneficial to all ? 

It is not my purpose, however, upon this occasion, 
to dwell directly upon these commandments, but to 
direct your attention to an inference which is suggest- 
ed by them. " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. " 
Now, allow me to ask : do you love yourselves ? You 
will of course protect yourself from many dangers and 
provide for many of your wants. But still I continue 
to inquire : do you really love yourselves ? You will 

299 



300 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

hug yourselves with the delusive assurance that you 
love yourselves. Each one of you will answer : " I 
not to love myself ? Why, it is preposterous to ask 
such a uqestion ! To be sure I love myself ! Do not 
my actions demonstrate this, if indeed a demonstration 
is needed ? I not to love myself ? Why, such a ques- 
tion is silly. " I wish you did love yourselves : for if 
you did, you would certainly love your neighbor and 
your God. The fact that you are at times deficient in 
your love toward God and your neighbor, is proof 
enough that you are not perfect in your love toward 
yourselves ; and this I shall endeavor to prove. 

Is not the thief good to himself ? Does he not love 
himself ? It appears that he does ; for he is anxious 
to appropriate things belonging to others to himself. He 
wants to provide himself with plenty. Though he loves 
not his neighbor, it seems he certainly loves himself. 
But this is a sophistry. He does not love himself. 
The way of the transgressor is hard. He does not study 
the consequences ; or, if he does, the study prevents 
him not from stealing. He is finally imprisoned and 
disgraced. He did not love himself, for had he, prison 
bars would never have closed upon him. Had he 
loved himself, he would have been industrious in the 
walks of honesty, and this industry would have moulded 
him to honor and fidelity. He did not love himself, 
nor his neighbor, nor his God, and punishment is his 
remuneration. 

Here is a person who pursues fortune with a vengeance. 
He is bound to get riches. His ambition is gold. He 
exhausts his mental and physical powers in accumulating 
wealth. He cares not whether his neighbors are doomed 
to penury on earth and to everlasting perdition in hell, if 
he only succeed. He builds his fortune upon the ruins 



SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 301 

of others. He wishes their failure, that thereby his purse 
may develop. He flatters himself that he loves him- 
self ; that he will become influential ; that people will 
look up to him as though he were a lord. He will be 
great. But this greatness he will never enjoy. He 
cannot enjoy it. He is destroying all the sources 
whence true enjoyment springs. He is banishing from 
his heart those emotions which fertilize the soul and 
make worldly possessions enjoyable. In their stead 
he is cultivating nigardliness as well as covetousness. 
Did he love himself, he would be rational He would 
say to himself : '* I shall labor honestly, but not with ex- 
treme selfishness. For if I amass a large fortune, it may 
be the ruin, rather than the betterment, of my family. 
I shall be moderate, and my moderation will be an 
example worthy of their imitation. Neither they nor I 
shall have the curse of the widow or the orphan or the 
wronged." But he acts not thus, because he loves not 
himself ; and his reward will be sorrowful disappoint- 
ment. His harvest will bring him little joy, for he 
transgresses the great commandments of the law and 
the prophets. 

Another worries because he does not become rich 
faster, and he worries, too, because his neighbor acquires 
wealth faster than he does. This is foolishness. He 
stews himself away, fretting while he should be better 
employed. He gains nothing. His worriments multi- 
ply. He is injuring his health, and it is quite evident 
he does not love himself. Did he love himself, he would 
have a broader soul. He might toil to prosper, but he 
would bid Godspeed to every one else. He would 
have less worry and more contentment. 

Again, you might have seen a man, an honest man, a 
man who injures no person and wishes well to all. Ex- 



302 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

cessive labor is his occupation. The day is too short for 
him. The burning sun is not too hot, nor the frost of 
winter too severe. Work — work is his only pleasure. 
You may admire such a man, but he does not love him- 
self. His unremitting toil will break down his health. 
Instead of ease in his old age, he will suffer from disease. 
The doctors will get his hard earned cash. Often he 
will regret that he did not love himself more. He was 
unwise, and though he meant to be honest, he was dis-. 
honest to himself. Moderation should have been his 
maxim. God gave him health, but he abused it. The 
gift was not appreciated until it was squandered. Then 
its true worth was apparent, but it was too late. 

You will now acknowledge, I think, that many there 
are who do not love themselves. Nay, more ; I shall 
convince you that many not only do not love them- 
selves, but hate themselves. Yea, hate themselves, and 
not only themselves, but their progeny also. You need 
not be told of the appalling number of sins committed 
in our age against chastity and temperance. These 
monstrous transgressions occur even in our own neigh- 
borhood. Virtue is laughed at as though it were folly 
to be chaste and temperate. Do you tell me that those 
prevaricators love themselves ? You could not be so un- 
truthful. I see a man staggering along the side-walk ; 
he reels — falls into the gutter. There he lies, muttering 
nonsense to himself, and besmeared with filth. Do you 
tell me that man loves himself ? Well, I hope your love 
for yourselves will not be of that sort. I hear of a man 
maddened with excessive drink, going in amidst his little 
family, taking down his gun to shoot his wife. Does 
he love himself ? Does he love his family ? Some day, 
in his madness, he may perpetrate the crime which he 
has threatened. He does not love himself. He is 



SEVENTEENTH SUNDAl AFTER PENTECOST. 303 

ruining himself, destroying his nervous system. He will 
transmit this degraded, exhausted nature to his chil- 
dren — an awful legacy ; the only inheritance of a de- 
praved father. Tell me not that he loves himself. Such 
a man hates himself, hates his offspring ; for if he loved 
himself and loved his child, his behavior would be vastly 
different. Look at the murders and suicides which 
have been committed almost in your midst. What was 
the cause? Excessive drink, and probably impurity. 
These are the crimes which are prevalent in our day ; 
and when some people desire what they call a good 
time, they go off to some distant town or city, and there 
indulge in revolting sins, where neighbors will not hear 
of their profligacy. Are these the persons who are to 
be the parents of the coming generation? If so, their 
children will curse them. When they have grown old, 
or probably in their graves, these children will be pun- 
ished for crimes, the propensity to which they have 
inherited from these very parents. They will suffer 
from mental and physical defects, the pernicious legacy 
of their sinful parents. 

Do you think I am airing some nonsensical theory 
which has no foundation in fact? Read statistics. Do 
you think socrety was always so ? The same source 
of information will prove to you that crime is increas- 
ing faster in proportion than the population. That 
lawlessness has existed more or less at all times, no 
one will deny ; but our age is notoriously pre-eminent 
for lust and drunkenness, for murder and suicide and 
dishonesty. Do these violaters of God's law love them- 
selves ? Behold their wretched existence and their 
more wretched death ! Do they love their children ? 
Behold the foundlings, a large proportion of which 
die before they have reached the age of twelve years ; 



304 SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

and the majority of those who survive, either enter aens 
of iniquity or pursue a disreputable life of some other 
sort ! Alas ! what a terrible account must such parents 
give to the Eternal Judge for the sinful proclivities 
which they bestow upon their o%pring ! By excesses 
the parents have impoverished their whole nervous 
system ; the brain is diseased, the body ruined, and 
this deformity is often the only dowry which a child 
receives from his sinful parents. If this wicked mode 
of living continue, what will the human race be in 
a few generations ? If this generation has multiplied 
its crimes, what will the next and the next be ? An 
awful thought ! A deplorable subject for calm con- 
sideration ! 

What is the origin of all this sinful disorder? It is 
needless to reply that the origin is found in man's want 
of love for himself. Did he love himself, he would 
know that the greatest benefits arise from the love of 
God ; and knowing this incontrovertible truth, his high- 
est ambition would be to love God, and consequently 
his neighbor. He would know that, if there be any 
happiness in this world, it is the virtuous person who 
enjoys that happiness. If he were so selfish as not to 
love God for Himself, he would love Him because from 
such love springs so many blessings, so much good for 
himself and to his children. 

But you, my Christian friends, should love God in 
preference to yourselves, in preference to everything 
else. Your love for Him should constantly burn. It 
should be more faithful than the sanctuary lamp which 
burns in honor of its Creator, for this lamp is sometimes 
extinguished ; but your love ought to be ceaseless. 
Then, indeed, you would love yourselves, and find little 
difficulty in loving your neighbor. Your fidelity to 



SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 305 

God would protect you from many of the wicked dis- 
asters of this life, and secure for you an eternal reward, 
not of punishment, but of glory. 



EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



Son^ be of good heai't : thy sins are forgiven thee. ( St. Math, 
ix. — 2.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Lord knew the frailty 
of man. He knew he would transgress the divine law. 
But He loved the human race ; and this love is attested 
by His death upon the cross, and by the institution 
of the Sacrament of Penance. " Man is weak," He 
seems to say to Himself ; *' he will fall, but I shall give 
him the means to rise again. He will at times forget 
My love for him ; he will forget the sacrifices I make 
for him ; Satan will triumph ; but I shall not let man 
be a captive. I shall, as of old, establish for him 
an ark of refuge." He consequently institutes the 
sacred tribunal of Penance, to which the sinner may go 
for security. Here every sin is pardoned. All the eter- 
nal punishment is cancelled. The sinner is once more 
a free man. The only conditions required, are that he 
be truly sorry for his sins, resolve never again to violate 
the law of God, and confess his sins to a duly author- 
ized priest of the Church of God. 

Some who are not Catholics, maintain it is absurd to 

admit that man has the power to forgive sins. So did 

the Scribes ; for they clamored that Jesus had blas- 

3Qa 



'S^IGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 307 

phemed, as you have just heard from the inspired 
records of that memorable event. But man does not 
claim to have this power inherent in himself. It is 
delegated to him by the Author of allpower. Does 
God directly light the earth ? Oh, no. How then ? By 
a material instrument — the sun. He gave to the centre 
of the solar system the qualities of illumination, and 
from there the rays of light are diffused throughout 
our planitary system. He employs, therefore, in the 
physical world a material instrument of His power. 
Can He not do likewise in the world of human society ? 
Who will set the limits of His power ? Or who will 
dictate to Him what He must do ? He decrees that 
certain persons, priests of His Church, will have power 
to light the soul of man and to dispel the darkness of 
sin, and who will say to Him nay ? He is the Dispenses 
of all power. The slander of the Scribes or the cant of 
unbelievers neither can restrain His love nor annul His 
decrees. 

It is not, however, my intention to-day to enter into 
a theological disquisition on the Sacrament of Penance, 
but to awaken in your souls a true appreciation for this 
beneficent favor, that you may acknowledge the mercy 
of God and apply to your souls the merits of Christ's 
sufferings. 

Where is the Catholic who does not with a grateful 
heart thank God for so great a blessing ? Where is the 
Catholic who has not felt the soothing influence of this 
benign sacrament ? In the anguish of his heart he ap- 
proached the holy tribunal. He departed with a light 
heart and a tranquillized conscience. With what ardent 
love should every Catholic kneel to thank his Redeern- 
erand Preserver I In the silence of his heart he pours 
put his soul in thanksgiving to his constant Benefactor. 



308 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEK PENTECOST. 

How many a heart has found tranquillity in confession? 
How many a shipwrecked soul has found here a calm 
harbor ? What would Catholics do but for this sacra- 
ment? Baptism would be inefficacious to many. Num- 
bers are contaminated by the leprosy of mortal sin. 
Where would they go for solace ? There would be 
none. Burdened with the disease of some mortal sin, 
they would live and die. No guaranty that their sins 
were ever pardoned. How miserable, how dejected 
would they live ! On their death-bed, the pains of sick- 
ness would be augmented by the torments of a guilty 
conscience. No priest to assure them that their sins 
were forgiven and that the voice of their repentance had 
penetrated the merciful heart of Jesus : that His sacred 
blood had purified their afflicted souls. Now how 
different. A man is taken down with sudden sickness. 
He sends for a priest. His great anxiety is to have a 
priest. It is not for a doctor he cries. It is not his 
bodily sufferings which alarm him. Oh, no. He might 
not have been a great sinner, but nevertheless he wants 
a priest. A priest arrives. The sick person breathes a 
sigh of relief. He confesses his sins, promises if God 
spare his life, to atone for his transgressions. The 
priest bends over him, pronounces the sacred words of 
absolution, and in the place of his Divine Maker says : 
^* Be of good hearty My so?i, thy sms are forgiven thee ^ What 
tranquillity follows ! Who can estimate the wonder- 
ful works of God in this Sacrament of Reconciliation ? 
Here the unbeliever, were he present, would acknowl- 
edge the marvellous efficacy of God's grace ; here are 
seen evidences of God's merc}^ ; here are proofs that 
His words were not spoken in vain when He empow- 
ered the Apostles to forgive sins : " Whose sins you 
shall forgive they are forgiven, and whose sins you shall 



EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 309 

retain they are retained!' Here, too, are evidences that 
this power still abides in the Church of God. 

The confessional is the great barrier to sin, the 
spiritual physician of society, the ark of refuge, the 
regenerator of the social fabric. Society is wicked 
enough ; but what would it be but for the confessional ! 
Who would set limits to sin ? Who could retard its 
cancerous growth ? None. The civil laws are not 
competent to restrain it. They have not, for crime is 
multiplying. They cannot say to the conscience, be 
pure. They point not to God. They awaken no grand 
ideal. Their penalty is temporal punishment, and this 
holds not the " wretch in order." The Sacrament of 
Penance, coming from God, having divine power, is 
alone capable to drive back sin, the deadly foe of man- 
kind ; sin which brings so much distress ; sin which 
disturbs the tranquillity of the soul, which produces so 
many disorders in parishes ; sin which fills the jails and 
penitentiaries and erects our scaffolds ; sin which robs 
the soul, devastates the heart, and condemns to everlast- 
ing torments the transgressors, — is conquered only by 
divine power in the Sacrament of Penance ! 

Our Lord is still the Good Shepherd ; He still goes 
after the sinner and kindly brings him back. No 
doubt you have often observed a devout child. He 
receives the sacraments regularly and often. With 
clasped hands he breathes the holy innocence of his 
heart in gratitude to God. His soul is fertilized with 
every Christian virtue. How buoyant is his heart ! 
How holy his aspirations ! How noble his behavior ! 
He is truly a Catholic child ! Edifying to all and 
beloved by idolizing parents. He remains faithful to 
God until he is eighteen or twenty years of age ; but 
he has been gradually forming bad associations. Slowly 



310 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

^he leaves the path of true joy. Bad company is draw- 
ing him away. Repeatedly he looks back at the path 
from which he is departing; but passions burn in his 
breast while his environments heap on new fuel. The 
rworld with its false, decoying allurements, entices him 
onward. He goes less frequently to confession. Slowly 
■ Gvery silken thread mooring him to the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus is severed. He falls into mortal sin, becomes 
reckless, and not seldom dissipated. His, indeed, is 
-an awful fall. Jesus mourns his spiritual death, and his 
'parents are distracted. But our Saviour permits him to 
go on until he has drank from the stagnating pools of 
sin. He is satiated, disgusted, disappointed. The 
fascinations of sin proved to be only snares. The 
pleasures thereof only illusions. The joys, vexations ; 
and the reward, decay. The soul once luxuriant^is 
impoverished. Amidst this devastation there is not a 
"single Christian virtue remaining — all is a total waste, 
complete spiritual ruin. His benign Redeemer whispers 
to his conscience. He pauses, looks back, thinks of the 
time when he was truly happy — when his young heart 
was unburdened with vice. His very soul weeps over 
its great loss ; but .though desolate, he is not forgotten ; 
His Saviour speaks gently to him : '* Son, be of good 
cheer, I have not abandoned you. I have not forgotten 
those holy hours when you knelt before My altar in 
prayer ; when your young soul worshipped Me so 
ardently ; when you loved Me with your whole heart 
and aspired only to Me. I shall not remember your 
transgressions,— they have given you enough of pain. 
Come, put your hand into the wound in My side ; feel 
these wounds in My hands — these are expressions of My 
love for you ; they tell you that you were never forsaken 
by Me. Come, show yourself again to your priest and 



EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 3ll 

vMy priest ; your sins will be pardoned ; none will listen 
.but your confessor and Myself. Again these wounds 
will bleed for you and wash away your sins." The 
•sinner's heart yields ; his soul bursts through the con- 
fines of sin ! The light of God's grace shines upon 
the barren waste ! The mercy of His Saviour has con- 
■quered ! The sinner is again redeemed ! His parents, 
his friends, yea, heaven rejoices as he leaves tlie confes- 
sional once more a free man. He is not the same 
innocent child he was when he first went in pursuit of 
sinful pleasure ; still his sins are cancelled, and he may 
attain to greater Christian virtue than he ever possessed. 

Without this sacrament, how many would dare to 
approach Holy Communion? A few may have pre- 
served baptismal innocence, but the vast majority have 
disrobed themselves of such purity. Behold the 
economy of your Saviour in establishing means for 
your regeneration ! He loves 3^ou ; He desires to live in 
your hearts, but sin debars him. Where sin is, He can- 
not dwell — hence the Sacrament of Penance. And you 
may judge a Catholic quite prudently by his frequency 
or delinquency in the reception of this sacrament. 
When a Catholic goes not to confession ; when he tells 
you he is not yet prepared — you may look out for him- 
For my part, I would not trust him ; there is something 
wrong, something grievously wrong in him. 

Should not, therefore, every Catholic thank God for 
giving him such a means of reconciliation and grace ? 
Ought we not, with our whole heart, with our whole 
soul, and with all our strength, render our gratitude to 
Him ? With fervent prayer we should thank him that 
we are Catholics, and can consequently avail ourselves 
of the works of His mercy. Pray often that Catholics 
who have abused this sacrament, who never go to con- 



312 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTEE PENTECOST. 

fession, may repent of their follies and be converted ; 
and for yourselves, do not insult Almighty God ; never, 
by your indifference, abuse His favors. Prize this 
remarkable proof of His beneficence toward you. We 
beg of you, O most Merciful Saviour, to teach us to 
appreciate truly your benign compassion in the Sacra- 
ment of Penance ; we implore assistance that we may 
never make a bad confession ; we entreat You to bless 
us at the end of life with an opportunity to confess our 
sins ; and as the priest pronounces the words of 
absolution, may You, O benign Redeemer, whisper to 
our poor agitated souls: ''Be of good hearty son : thy 
sins are forgiven theeJ'^ 



NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



The kingdom of heaven is like to a man being a king^ who 
made a marriage for his son. (St. Math. xxii. — 2.) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Lord tells us in these 
words, of the marriage feast which His Eternal Father 
made for the human race. It was an illustrious feast, 
though involving a direful tragedy. It was the assuming 
of a human body and a human soul by Jesus Himself ; 
and the appalling tragedy was His death upon the 
Cross. The invitation had been extended through the 
Prophets of old, and also the Divine Son called them. 
The Jews were incredulous or disinterested. They re- 
fused the invitation. Many of the King's servants having 
been insulted, were put to death, and even the King's 
Son was not spared. The King was angry. He de- 
stroyed the murderers, and burned their city ; — the fam- 
ous city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the conqueror, 
and countless Jews perished during the siege of this 
renowned metropolis. 

The Jews had forsaken the ways of Almighy God. 
They were indifferent, as many Christians are in our day^ 
They sought for earthly things. They were blind to 
their true interests. Consequently they had no relish 
for the supernatural, nor any illuminated patience to 

313 



314 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

weigh the doctrines of the Messiah. They ignored His 
invitation and rejected His teachings. The servants, 
however, persevered in fulfilling the orders of their 
Master. From the byways and the thoroughfares, from 
the nooks and remote parts, they induced the Gentiles to 
enter the festive halls. All those who accepted the invi- 
tation had faith in Jesus — otherwise they would be de- 
barred from entrance ; but all had not on the wedding 
garment of charity, justice, and innocence. This class, 
deficient in the requisites for a true Christian, is repre- 
sented in the Sacred Scriptures by one person. He is 
punished for neglecting the virtues which should be the 
ornaments and glory of every Catholic. 

Jesus is the Son of the King Who prepared the mar- 
riage feast for mankind. From the foundation of the 
world He had made arrangements for this feast. The 
Blessed Virgin was predestined. Her pure soul untaint- 
ed by sin, and her chaste body animated by sublimest 
gifts, were prepared to be the receptacle of the incar- 
nated God. The time came for the marriage, and the 
announcement was made. What a sanctifying mar- 
riage ! The marriage of Jesus to His spotless Church ! 
The marriage of Jesus to every willing heart ! A sacred 
union in which we are mystically united with the Son 
of Mary, the Saviour of the world. 

The servants went forth to invite all to this nuptial 
gathering. The Apostles and their delegates went into 
every thoroughfare, into every lane, every nook, and 
exhorted, admonished, entreated, that all may partake 
of the banquet. Many resisted stubbornly ; but the- 
servants of Christ diligently labored. Burning with 
zeal, no danger was so appalling, no risk of life too 
dangerous, to retard them. After excessive toil, after 
untold sacrifices, they triumphed. People listened, and 



NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 315 

were converted— were induced to accept the invitation/ 
TKe Rome of the Caesars became the Rome of Christ- 
ianity. Athens, the home of philosophy, embraced 
the teachings of the Child of Nazareth. Pagan erudition 
bowed before the science of the Gospel. When once 
convinced, they accepted the invitation, and by means 
of divine grace were united to Jesus and His Church. 

There were some of those also who had not on the 
wedding garment. They had faith, still they did not 
conform to the laws which this faith enjoined. These 
had not charity, nor that piety which decorates the soul 
of a true Christian. In every age and nation many of 
this kind were to be found in the Church of God. 
Instead of moulding the character of others by good 
example, they destroyed some, and prevented others, 
from becoming guests at the feast. While they pro- 
fessed faith in the Redeemer, they assaulted His 
doctrines or disobeyed His mandates. They knelt 
before the altar only to disguise their criminality. The 
better to succeed, they assumed the gravity of an anchor- 
ite, and blushed not at their vicious successes. They 
wore without detection the mask of hypocrisy, until the 
Master's patience was exhausted ; then they were cast 
out into exterior darkness. Whatever may be the con- 
dition of a bad Catholic beyond the grave, he surely 
suffers here from the darkness into which he falls by 
an unchristian life. He is enveloped ; nay, more, he is 
permeated by darkness. Darkness settles upon him — 
darkness in his intellect, darkness in his heart, dark- 
ness in every fibre of his being. Without the friendship 
of God, the soul must indeed be dark and its vision 
obscured. It has lost its polar star. The result is 
confusion and disorder. The mantle of protection has 
fallen from his shoulders ; — he is an outcast. It may 



316 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

be he still retains an air of superiority, but the light of 
his intellect is extinguished. There is one way by 
which he can avoid eternal shipwreck, and that is by 
returning to his Church, kneeling at the feet of Jesus, 
and with tears of repentance ask Him for the wedding 
garment of innocence. 

Now, as you are aware, the Catholic Church is the 
spouse of Jesus. The union existing between Jesus 
and His Church will never be severed as long as time 
endures. There will be no divorce, no separation. 
She has continued for nineteen centuries to invite 
multitudes to the feast prepared by her divine Bride- 
groom and His Eternal Father ; she will continue to 
do so as age after age sinks into the abyss of time. 
Many have heeded the invitation ; many have rejected 
her proposal. Some, there are, who belong to her, 
but they are wayward, headstrong, sinful. They 
persist in wearing the garment of hell, though they 
understand this is not the garb of a devout Catholic. 
They are wise in their conceits, but their conceits are 
repugnant to morality and religion. The day will 
come when the Master will visit them. They may not 
hear his voice as He reprimands them ; but the punish- 
ment which they will suffer will be evidence of His 
visitation. Often had He spoken to their hearts ; often 
had He, in the person of His ministers, bade them 
reflect on the text which I have read to you. He has 
remonstrated with them in something of this manner : 
" Do you imagine that drunkards will be allowed to 
enter My eternal festive halls ? Do you think I shall 
tolerate the presence of the adulterer, the fornicator, 
the oppressor of the poor, the tyrant, or the subject 
tearing down legitimate government ? Do you think 
I shall show mercy to those who had no mercy, or who 



NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 317 

derided My justice ? No ; you must cast off the mantle 
of iniquity and put on the robes of innocence, if you 
desire to be a guest at My feast." 

Some commentators hold that the kingdom of God 
mentioned in to day's Gospel, may be considered the 
Church militant on earth. The marriage feast also 
represents the Church, into which all are invited ; but 
many refused, among them the Jews. Catholics who 
have not lost all faith, though they are vile, may 
remain therein until the Bridegroom comes to examine 
the guests, until they are to render an account of their 
behavior during life. Then, indeed, those who are not 
suitably attired, will be handed over to the torturer. 
Whatever difference of opinion may be fostered by 
scholars, it is evident that in the Catholic Church Jesus 
has prepared a great feast. He not only invites, but 
solicits everyone to participate in this feast. One 
thing is necessary ; it is that every guest must have on 
the wedding garment of purity. The feast ? It is 
the Holy Eucharist. In this great Banquet Jesus is 
united to the human recipient. A wonderful marriage ! 
Divinity and humanity communicate with each other ! 
Soul speaks to soul. The finite is the festive hall for 
the reception of the infinite ! The Divine humiliates 
Himself ; the creature is exalted ! Pledges of friend- 
ship are given. Jesus is to be henceforth the Bride- 
groom of the soul. The soul will ever remain robed 
in purity. It will never again be tainted by sin, nor 
lack any good essential to its happiness. Ah, if such 
a union could always continue, how happy poor mortals 
would be ! It does not endure. Why ? Because of 
the perversity of our intentions. Mortal sin only can 
break the bonds of friendship ; and some Catholics hesi- 
tate not to rend asunder the golden strands of grace. 



318 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, 

A pity it is that they are so blunted by bad company 
and its concomitant sins. How often the Church 
invites them, beseeches them, exhorts and encourages 
them to quit the haunts of immorahty. How reckless 
they are in obeying the voice of the Church ! Catholics 
living almost under the eaves of their Church, will not 
hear Mass on Sunday, though they understand the 
nature of the sacrifice offered. How un-Catholic is.their 
own conduct ? How deaf to their own interests, 
material and sacred ? They will lounge in a saloon 
on Sunday, drinking and becoming drunk. Pagans 
could not presume to insult God more. Those weigh 
the sanctity of the Church and the sublime sacrifice 
with their beastly enjoyment, and, wonder of wonders ! 
they prefer degradation to sacredness. Great God ! 
if they are not ashamed of their excesses, why do 
they not lament the cost of them ? — the cost in money, 
the cost in the ruin of their family and themselves, 
the cost in the expulsion of the friendship of God ? 

Avoid those indulgences which have ruin for their 
reward. Set a good example to others. You may be, 
you can be, a life boat to many a poor human wreck. 
Be brave in the rescue of others. If you save only one, 
you will certainly not be lost yourself. Ask God to 
give you the will and the way. On your death-bed, if 
you are conscious that you have introduced one with 
the wedding garment into the feast of Christ, your 
suffering will thereby be mitigated, your joy aug- 
"mented, and your hope secured 



TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 

Unless you see signs and wonders^ you believe not. ( St. 
John iv. — 48. ) 

My Dear Friends : Our Divine Saviour reproves the 
ruler for his want of sufficient faith. " Unless you see 
signs and wonders^' says Our Lord to him, ''you will not 
believe!' Continuing, Jesus said : ''Go thy way ^ thy son 
livethr The ruler believes His word ; but his faith is 
imperfect until he learns from his servants that the 
fever left him at the hour the Eternal Physician pro- 
nounced the words, " Thy son liveth. " Then himself 
and his whole household were confirmed in faith. 

This miracle teaches all mankind in every age, a sal- 
utary lesson. It convinced the ruler of our Divine 
Master's power. It tells us in all our miseries to look to 
heaven for comfort and relief. We should have confi- 
dence in God, and believe the doctrine imparted to us by 
Him and the Church which He established. Our unfal- 
tering faith is pleasing to him and beneficial to us. 
The desire to see signs and wonders, is significant of 
lack of faith. It is the absence of an unwavering trust in 
the God of mercy and goodness. " He who loves Me will^ 
keep My commandments !' He says. Such a person; 
will not be looking for wonders to convince him. He: 

319 



320 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTEB PENTECOST. ■ 

believes; it is sufficient for him that God has spoken. 
If he does delve into the secrets of Nature, it is only 
to find out the marvellous works of God, so that the 
Eternal Architect may be more honored and glori- 
fied by His people. 

To how many, in our day, could the reproach admin- 
stered by our Saviour be applied ! People are forget- 
ful of God. Their ambition is to excel in commerce, 
in politics, in wealth — in anything except that for which 
they w^ere chiefly created. In the fever of their efforts, 
they burn for worldly advantages. They are consumed 
with the desire to obtain the perishable. They stand 
in need of the heavenly Physician to touch their hearts, 
to cool their burning thirst, and bid them look above 
for true happiness. Engrossed with the objects of their 
ambition, they strain every nerve to grasp the tempt- 
ing fruit of earthly renown. Sight of the noble ends of 
life is lost. Prosperity only gives rise to doubt in the 
existence of God. There are not signs and wonders to 
prove to them that Providence still directs the universe. 
In order to attain to popularity, some may even seek 
large audiences for the purpose of condemning the works 
of God or denying His existence. The fault with these, 
if they are sincere, is that unprejudiced search is not 
made by them for the wonders of God. The heavens 
and the earth abound with such marvels. " How great 
are thy works, Lord ! Thou hast made all things in 
wisdom ; the earth is filled with Thy richest These 
words of the Psalmist are verified by every student of 
Nature. 

We would say to them : look around you ; study hon- 
estly the wonders which God places before you for your 
contemplation. The marvellous things which you will 
behold are signs of God and His providence. The con- 



TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 321 

sideration of the wonderful operations of Nature will 
give a healthy tone to your thought ; will lift you above 
yourself ; will subdue the fever's rage for wealth, for 
power or position. Take a rose. You have enjoyed 
its delightful perfume. Its delicate tints have no doubt 
won your admiration. Yea, its very presence may have 
expanded the heart, allayed sorrow, and given a peace- 
ful buoyance to your entire being. But study its per- 
fume. Why does it differ from other vegetation? 
Whence does it get this pleasing fragrance? How 
distilled ? Why do the sepals possess such soft tints 
fading from one delicate color into another. You may 
answer that it is due to cultivation. But even granting 
this, what is there in the rose predisposing it to culture. 
Is this delicac)^ of odor and color, earth ? Is it air ? 
Can you combine both so as to produce the same 
effects ? You cannot, for the God of Nature has 
endowed the rose with a laboratory whose work sur- 
passes the skill of man. Well has Our Lord said, that 
Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like the lily 
of the field. But whence does the rose obtain such a 
prodigious faculty ? Does it receive it from the soil in 
which it grows? Does it imbibe it from the atmosphere? 
The answer is no ; for, analyze the elements, and you will 
find that they do not possess it, and consequently can- 
not impart what they have not. Nature, you may say, 
is the author ; let me ask : did you ever see Nature ? 
Did you ever apprehend her by any of your senses ? 
Is she an eternal something ? Is she infinity in her 
capabilities ; boundless in her extension ; possessing 
matchless intelligence, and directress and preservatrix 
of the universe. If you say she is, then you only call 
by another name the Supreme Being Whom Catholics 
adore as God. Should you maintain that Nature is a 



322 mVENTIETH SUNDAY AFTEll PENTECOST. 

force, then we ask, is it an intelligent force ? If you 
deny to it intelligence, you hold that an unintelligent 
something governs the universe, and of course human 
intelligence also. Such a position could be held by 
no man of sound mind. For no being can impart 
what he has not ; but here an unintelligent nature 
would be giving to man intelligence — something which, 
according to the hypothesis, Nature does not possess. 
But the unbeliever in God may claim that Nature is 
intelligent. A statement of this kind involves him in a 
labyrinth of difficulties. Without analyzing the asser- 
tion, let us inquire : Did you ever see, feel, smell, or 
taste an intelligence ? You did not ; and as you have 
not, why attribute intelligence to the force called 
Nature. But should we grant that Nature does possess 
intelligence, then the question arises, did it always 
possess intelligence? If not, then it must have received 
it from another source ; if it always possessed intelli- 
gence, then its intelligence is eternal, and therefore 
God. 

But enough of this. Consider the works of God in a 
general way, and what wonders you behold ! See the 
grass which you trample under feet. Who can explain 
the nature of its growth ? We look upon it as insig- 
nificant ; but how mysterious is its formation ! The 
shrubs, the trees — all vegitation proclaims the wisdom 
of God. If our minds soar to the stars, here again is 
a magnificent display of the Eternal Designer's power 
manifested. Lost in thought, we study the motions of 
the ponderous globes which illumine the beautiful 
expanse of the heavens. Pondering upon their position 
and the forces by which they are controlled, we 
exclaim : Great are thy works, O God ! The heavens 
and the earth are proofs of Thy greatness. Did man 



TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 323 

study himself, he would behold the greatest and grand- 
est wonder of all visible creation. Man, so wonderful 
in organism, so incomprehensible in the faculties of his 
soul, is argument sufficient to demonstrate the exist- 
ence of the Supreme Intelligence. 

Well directed study leads to God ; but prayer con- 
soles the heart, nourishes the soul, and unites us with 
our Maker. A Catholic may examine, weigh, reflect, 
and speculate upon mysteries natural and supernatural ; 
still after the mental excusions are over, he should rest 
in the same secure faith which was the characteristic 
mark of all celebrated Catholic writers. As a hunter 
returns home after the chase to warm himself at his own 
hearth and be protected under his own roof from the 
storms of the night ; so the student should, after his 
speculations, be warmed by divine hope and protected 
from the storms of doubt and difficulties by an ardent 
faith. It is only when the scholar is shielded by the 
armor of faith that he can make the most beneficial 
investigation in the realms of hidden knowledge. For 
now he can advance with security. He tosses aside 
all doubts in matters of faith. What discoveries he 
makes, involve no contradiction ; therefore they at once 
become a part of the sum of human science. Such 
was the method of the renowned Doctors of the Church. 
They saw the wisdom and power of God manifested in 
all His works. 

Bacon has said : ** A little philosophy makes unbe- 
lievers, but much philosophy makes Christians." The 
more we analyze Nature, the more our soul arises to its 
Creator. Our gratitude becomes greater, our love 
increases with our gratitude, until we bow in heartfelt 
prayer, thanking Him for all His blessings. We should 
implore God that He may give us still greater powers 



324 TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

of intellect for the purpose of better knowing His 
marvellous works, and a heart to appreciate them. As 
the poet says, " An honest man is the noblest work of 
God," therefore every Catholic ought to labor that his 
life may correspond to the teaching of the Church. If 
it does not, then he is diseased. There is no true 
spiritual health where moral defects exist. Health of 
the body is to be desired. Indeed, we make every effort 
to regain it, if it be impaired. But the health of the soul 
is of incomparably greater importance. Our Divine 
Lord said to the ruler. Thy soji liveth ; but to restore 
health to the soul. He died upon the Cross. What is 
more pitiable than to see a person pretending to be a 
Catholic, yet his conduct is disgraceful to a pagan ! 
He professes Catholicism, but his religion is grasping 
greed, his appetite for strong drink, or some other 
passion which degrades noble human nature. Our 
earnest prayer should be that God may heal our souls, 
and that our hearts may burn with divine love, so that 
at the end of life He may say to each of us : Thou liveth 
not in body, but in soul ; not for time, but for eternity with 
Me, 



TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



But thai servant falling down^ besought him, saying : Have 
patience with me^ and I will pay thee all. (St. Math, xviii. — 

My Dear Friends: Among the many useful lessons 
which the Gospel for to-day imparts, is contrition, or 
sorrow for sin. The poor servant is in a sad plight — 
His master demands a settlement. The account shows 
him to be in debt to the amount of 10,000 talents. An 
awful sum it is. He has not the means to liquidate 
such an enormous debt. So he falls prostrated before 
his master, beseeching him to show mercy to his 
servant. His supplication is not in vain. The good king 
has compassion., and forgives him all. But this servant 
has not the proper disposition for pardon. He is not 
possessed of a great-hearted generosity. No love for his 
master accentuates his motives, but fear of punishment 
makes him cringe ; for did he love the king, he would not 
have dared to abuse another servant of the same king. 
With cruel greed, he seizes his fellow-servant. There is 
no pity there; no heart to melt into tenderness ; but mer- 
cilessly he casts the poor debtor of lOO pence into prison. 
The fellow-servant's indebtedness was only a few dollars ; 
his comrade's was 10,000 talents, or over $15,000,000 of 
our money. 

It is evident that this parable represents, in the per- 

325 



326 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

son of the king, Almighty God. His mercy is without 
limit. He is ever ready to pardon the sinner ; but 
some conditions are required. Our benign Saviour 
gives us one in the continuation of this parable, when 
He describes the anger of the king and the condemna- 
tion of the unjust servant, saying :" 5<? shall My Hea- 
venly Father do to you if you forgive 7iot every one his 
brother from your hearts.'' Indeed, this seems a very 
reasonable requisite for pardon. Why should a human 
creature ask forgiveness, if he be unwilling to cancel 
the wrongs perpetrated upon him by another. Does 
God owe him any personal favors? Can he ask and 
receive, but in turn be narrow of heart and unforgiving? 
Thus it is, however, with man. He seems to have a 
mortgage on God's goodness; yet he is unmindful of the 
entreaties of his fellow-servants. 

We may with unrestrained indignation condemn 
the unjust servant, consider him a flinty-hearted ras- 
cal; still, are we much better? How often, on our knees, 
in the presence of our Lord in the tabernacle, do we 
supplicate for mercy? But the very same day, perhaps 
the very same hour, we calumniate our neighbor. Do 
we mean to insult Almighty God by our conduct ? 
Heaven forbid ! Our prayer, nevertheless, contained 
not the true spirit of a contrite heart ; or how could we 
be so unmindful of that disposition toward others, which 
God demands. It should be your earnest prayer that 
God may teach you to know yourselves and feel what 
others are. Were you conscious of all your own faults, 
you would not be so severe in judging others. Did 
you fully realize the immense debt that you owe God on 
account of sin, you would then be induced to shed tears 
of repentance. Your contrition would have all the 
requisites of true sorrow. 



TWENTY-PIEST SUNDAY AFTEli PENTECOST. 327 

Sometimes a pang of remorse may disturb someone's 
conscience. Like the unjust servant, his sorrow may 
spring from dreaded punishment. But remorse is not 
contrition. A friend whom you have injured, dies. 
His last words were declarations of your worth. You 
had misjudged him. He was your friend. You had 
mistaken him for an enemy. You now know the 
truth, and the truth fills you with remorse. You de- 
plore your rashness ; still there is no consideration for 
the offense given to God by your trespasses against 
your neighbor. The grief is not the contrition re- 
quired in the Sacrament of Penance. Fear of the 
punishment of hell is sufficient for imperfect contrition. 
But how ignoble is such sorrow. God is sinned against. 
The Creator and Lord of heaven and earth has been 
insulted, yet the penitent regards not the majesty of 
the One offended, but selfishly considers his own loss. 
Can a Catholic be so forgetful of God's benificence, so 
ungrateful to his greatest Benefactor, so blunt to every 
noble emotion, as not to implore first God's pardon 
with the most profound feelings of compunction ! The 
penalty may be terrible, but a magnanimous heart 
would certainly experience more pain from the thought 
that he had broken the chains of divine friendship than 
the punishment which his transgressions entail. A pious 
Catholic, if he has had the misfortune to commit sin, 
will first think of his ingratitude toward his Maker, his 
truest Friend. 

The penitent must be sorry for all the mortal sins 
committed since his last worthy confession. Indeed, we 
may add, his venial sins, too. For any violation of 
heaven's law should awaken in the transgressor's heart 
the deepest sentiments of grief. Think of the Being 
offended and the one offending, and is not this rea- 



328 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

son sufficient that we should bewail even the smallest sin, 
all the days of our life? Then ponder upon the mercy 
of God. All He asks is that the penitent will return and 
seek forgiveness with a humble and sorrowful heart. 
Ah! would many of us be so lenient toward those whose 
ungratefulness we have felt ? Would you thus kindly 
and compassionately hold out so many loving induce- 
ments for a renewal of friendship ? Would you go in 
quest of the ingiate as the Good Shepherd goes after 
the sheep which is lost? The unjust servant's debt was 
so great he could never pay it. This debt is nothing 
else only mortal sin. An eternity of punishment is 
the sentence. He prostrates himself and entreats his 
King to have pity upon him. What is the consequence? 
Not only patience is shown by the King, but He has 
compassion on the servant, and forgives all. Let us in 
our hearts kneel before the Sovereign Majesty of God 
and deplore all our sins — not only those committed since 
our last confession, but every sin of our lives. From 
the same fountain of feeling, let us supplicate God to 
be merciful toward us and obliterate all our trans- 
gressions. 

There is no misfortune so great as that of sin. 
Troubles, trials, failures may strew our path with thorns 
and cause the heart to ache, but these are incomparable 
with sin. They are often for our good. Adversity 
purifies. From its gloomy mist arises blessings — bless_ 
ings which train both the heart and intellect for grand 
achievement ; which expand our view of things ; which 
bring forth the purest feelings of sympathy from the 
deepest springs of the human heart. Not thus with sin. 
It poisons, where affliction only sweetens. It banishes 
God's grace from our heart. Trials are the milestones on 
the way to heaven. Sin diseases soul and body ; mis- 



TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 329 

fortunes well borne are the precious material from 
which heavenly crowns are fashioned. Sin is the only 
curse, the only calamity which degrades us. Sin robs 
us of God's friendship, and makes us rebels to heaven. 
It should, therefore, be detested more than all other 
afflictions of life. From these often come magnificent 
rewards ; from that, nothing except the anger of heaven. 
That the sinner has offended God, should be the only 
reason for his sorrow ; that he has brought upon himself 
condign punishment, ought to be of secondary consider- 
ation. 

Contrition should not be only expressed by the 
lips, — nor is it necessary to manifest our sorrow by 
appearances ; but it is essential that our grief should 
come from the heart. If tears forbidden rise, they may 
be indicators of sorrow's pangs within. They are, how- 
ever, dispensable. The keenest contrition has often no 
tears at all. A formal recital of words, commonly called 
an act of contrition, is not necessary. The heart of the 
penitent must feel the sorrow, and he must resolve to 
avoid sin in the future and the occasions thereof. The 
penitent, in the humility of his heart, regrets his fall ; is 
grieved because he was enticed by the alluring charms 
of sin from the Source of all good. He confesses his 
ingratitude toward heaven, and feels the low depths to 
which sin has dragged him. In sadness of heart he 
turns his eyes toward his Benefactor and prays : " O 
Lord ! have compassion on me. My debt is enormous. 
I can never repay You for the graces I have squandered ; 
but Your mercy is above Your works ! Pardon me, a 
sinner. Father, earnestly I implore ! " The shackles of 
sin fall from the poor penitent's soul. He is cleansed 
by the merits of his Saviour's passion and death. He is 
once more a child of heaven. Angels might well have 



330 TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

stood in awe while the priest pronounces the words of ab- 
solution and the penitent bows his head in silent sorrow. 
By this special power given by Our Lord to His Church, 
the sinner is again robed in the garment of innocence. 
And what was the sacrifice demanded from the trans- 
gressor in order that the merits of Jesus may be 
applied to his soul? Simply, go show yourself to the 
priest, and be sorry for your transgressions of My law. 
What wonderful rewards for so small a labor ! Purity of 
heart and soul returns ! The awful penalty to be 
imposed in eternity is obliterated ! 

How marvellous are the ways of God ! What remedies 
he has prepared for frail human nature ! Let us be 
thankful to Him that we are Catholics and have such 
extraordinary means of salvation. Every Catholic 
should daily ask God not to abandon him if he fall 
into the meshes of sin, but to give him the grace of 
repentance. Be not like the unjust servant spoken of 
in the Gospel of to-da}^ but show your appreciation 
of God's goodness by forgiving all others from your 
heart. By thus acting, God will have compassion on 
you during life ; and when the soul stands trembling 
on the verge of eternity — when the last account is to be 
taken of every action of your lives, He will be merciful 
toward you, for you have shown mercy to others, — 
" As y Oil meted out, so it shall be jneted luito you!' 



TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



Render to Ccesai' the things which are C(2sar's^ and to God 
the thi7igs that are God's (St. Math. xxii. — 21.) 

My Dear Friends : The Gospel just read relates, as 
you have observed, that the Pharisees sought to ensnare 
our Divine Lord in speech. For this purpose they send 
their disciples with someof the Herodians. These be- 
gin by flattery. Their intention is to draw forth a 
frank, independent answer from our Saviour. They 
imagine that in whatever way He will reply. He will 
involve Himself in a trap. Should He say thatit was 
lawful to render tribute to Caesar, then the Jews would 
clamor against Him ; for they maintain they were the 
chosen people of God, and therefore obliged to pay 
taxes to no foreign ruler. On the other hand, did He dis- 
countenance the paying of tribute to Caesar, He would 
make Rome His enemy. In both cases He would give 
an opportunity to the Jews to incite the populace 
against Him. It is easily seen that it was not the love 
of their country which actuated them, but a desire to 
make Jesus a rebel in the eyes of the Herodians, or a 
traitor to Jewish traditions. Our Saviour knowing their 
thoughts, asks for a coin. '* Whose image is this?'' He 
inquires. The answer was : " It is Caesar's." They 

331 



332 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

thus admitted that he was their ruler. Then says Jesus : 
" Rerider to Ccesar the things which are CcEsar's, and to 
God the things that are God's!' Be just, He says to 
them, and give to everyone what is his, and do not 
allowed your malice and guile to have you forget that 
there is a God to whom you must render an account. 
''Render to Ccesar the things that are Ccesar's^' im- 
plies that we should ever be steadfast in the support 
of our government ; that our allegiance should always 
be loyal, and that we should be faithful, obedient citi- 
zens. But while all this is legitimate, we must never 
forget the honor, obedience, and homage due the Su- 
preme Ruler of heaven and earth. Often have soldiers 
died in the defense of their king's honor. They rejoiced 
in such a death. The presence of their king inspired them 
with the greatest bravery. To fall mortally wounded, 
while their king's eyes were upon them, was a glory for 
which they died. Who was this king, we may seek to 
know ? A man whose ambition or injustice compelled 
him to battle. Who had no regard for the lives of his 
brave soldiers only inasmuch as they would assist him 
in grasping the object of his ambitious desires or inflict- 
ing the venom of his wrath. If men will show such 
honor and obedience to an earthly ruler, what should be 
their willingness to honor Almighty God. He is a 
Father to all mankind. In return. He asks the love of 
affectionate children. Should we not be happy in the 
knowledge that we have such a father? He does not 
represent Himself as a tyrant ; but He is our most faith- 
ful Friend, our constant Benefactor, and our unchange- 
able Adviser. We should honor Him, in the first place, 
because He is God. His perfections, if we only reflect, 
must necessarily lead us to love and honor Him. You 
admire a beautiful summer morning. The glorious sun- 



TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 333 

set illumining hill and vale ; the balmy, cooling atmo- 
sphere of the evening also elicit your admiration. The 
enrapturing offsprings of genius — the statue and the 
painting, draw forth the expressions, " How lovely ! 
How magnificent ! What a grand conception ! " Ra- 
tional beings love one another on account of friendship, 
affection, or kindness. But all the perfections of man 
and Nature have their source in God. He is the Author 
of every noble, human attribute, whether of mind or 
body. The star-decked heavens, with all their splendors, 
are the work of Omnipotence. Everything of beauty 
and awe, everything of power and wisdom, everything 
small and great, owe to Him their origin and perfec- 
tion. For as St. Paul says : " What have we that 
we did not receive ? " Is not this perfect Being, the 
Architect and Builder of the universe, deserving of the 
homaa;e and love of His creatures ? If our hearts and 
souls are drawn irresistibly to the idols of human perfec- 
tion, how our whole being should be centred and live in 
the God of all perfection. If the beauties of night and 
the glories of day expand the heart with emotion, how 
the soul should well forth in the loftiest praise to the 
Creator of all this munificence. If you appreciate 
power, behold Almighty God calling forth the universe 
from the abyss of nothing. If you admire wisdom, 
ponder upon the tremendous volume of the stars, their 
nice adjustment, their accurate movements. Do you 
esteem justice — that impartial attribute so difficult to 
discover in the judges of this world — then honor the God 
of justice. Who will render to every one according to 
his works. Do you love the merciful and the good, 
then turn your eyes, brimming with love and thanks- 
giving, to the Giver of all, and in your prayer of love 
remember the Saviour crucified for you. 



334 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

These are some reasons why we should revere God. 
To these we may add this first and most solemn Com- 
mandment to Moses and all posterity thereafter : " / 
am the Lord Thy God, thou slialt have ?io strange gods 
before Me y etc.'' In His injunction to Adam and Eve, He 
demanded obedience : You shall ?iot eat of that tree. On 
Mount Sinai He formulated a more explicit command : 
''lam the Loydthy God. To Me and to Me only do you owe 
adoration. You shall not make a graven thing nor the 
likeness of any thing that is in the Heavens above or in 
the water under the earth. You shall not adore them 
nor serve them. Thou shall not make wealth your God. 
Thou shalt not fall down before the idol of your ambi- 
tion. Thou shalt adore neither lust, nor avarice, nor 
fame, nor distinction ; Me only shalt thou adore and 
serve." 

A deliberate violation of this command brings upon 
the transgressor an awful punishment. He dares to 
defy heaven. He spurns the perfections of the All- 
powerful One. He is ungrateful for the mercies shown 
him and the blessings showered upon him. He adores 
and serves false gods, incurring thereby the lament- 
able consequences. Although the heavens and the earth 
proclaim the glories of God, man sometimes fails to 
unite his praises with those of inanimate nature. He 
perceives not that his discordance injures no person 
except himself ; for man attains his highest development 
by serving his Creator. Such service makes him a true 
nobleman. It is a shield against dishonor or disgrace. 
Being God's friend, he cannot be a slave to the caprices 
of his passions or the passions of others. He disdains 
the mean and the sordid. -Virtue protects the purity 
of his heart, while it enlightens and directs his intellect. 
The commandments of God are so many guardian angels 



TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AETEE PENTECOST. 335 

preserving him in the performance of his labors. He 
shrinks from doing an injury to his enemy, and esteems 
his manhood more than gold, office, or power. This 
service endows his character with the noblest attributes 
of man. Be he poor or rich, influential or otherwise, he 
is happier and more successful for his fidelity to his 
God. " Be true to yourself, " says Shakespeare, " and 
it follows as night the day, you cannot do wrong to 
anyone." But a person is only true to himself when he 
is true to his God. While he is true to God, it is as sure 
as the sun rose this morning, that he cannot do an act 
of injustice to any person. Yea, more; he is a benefactor 
of the human race so far as he is able. Should he be 
influential, his achievements will be notable for their 
honesty and brilliancy. They will merit and receive 
the approbation of his fellow-men, because they have 
been approved by heaven. His days on earth will be 
blessed, and he will be remembered for his justice, 
charity, and other Godlike deeds. 

You need not be told more to convince you that it is 
profitable for you to render to God the things that are 
His. But as an incentive to greater effort, study the 
man's conduct who refuses to honor and serve his Divine 
Master. He may be shrewd. He may be a money- 
maker. He may obtain some popularity; but it is the 
popularity which coxcombs give for their own benefit. 
He expires without honor, and the world is worse in- 
stead of better for his living. Where is the unfortunate 
outcast whom he has befriended ? Where is the or- 
phan whose tears he has transformed to joys ? Oh ! 
he had no time for such. But were we to ask, where 
are the ones he has wronged and ruined, a voice may 
say, their cries have risen to Me for vengeance. He 
has not been true to himself, nor to God, nor to anyone 



336 TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

else. He has strained every nerve to ascend to the sum- 
mit of his ambition. His ladder is built from the 
wreck which he caused. He reaches his goal, grasps the 
glittering object when he feels the Angel of Death. 
What has he gained ? The curses of the poor, the 
hungry, and the wronged, are the requiems chanted 
for his departing soul. What has he earned by his 
disobedience to God ? A restless, feverish life, a 
miserable death. 

Which course will you pursue ? The one, which 
brings maledictions upon your head ; or the other, 
which crowns you on earth with the gratitude of your 
fellow-men, and in eternity with the reward of your 
honorable labors ? The choice lies before you. It is 
for you to choose. The one will bestow blessings here 
and rewards hereafter ; the other affords nothing but 
torments in time and in eternity. Render then to God 
what belongs to Him. In order that you may better 
do this, He promises an endless reward. Caesar may 
bestow some compensation for your loyalty to him ; 
still, should you be thus favored, remember, the pen- 
sion he gives is transitory. Again bear in mind there 
is no incompatibility between the honor due to God 
and that owed to Caesar. By preserving your alle- 
giance to the latter, intact, you also do the work of 
the King of kings. But if we serve our ruler only for 
the remunerations given, we certainly act an ignoble 
part. Do you love your country more than you do 
your lives, you are patriots deserving the veneration 
of every loyal people. Yet here it must be admitted 
that your fidelity to God is of incomparably more im- 
portance to you. You must be patriotic citizens, if 
you serve God ; but you may be faithful to your coun- 
try and be infidels to God. The honor and glory due to 



TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 337 

God transcend every act of respect shown to temporal 
rulers as much as the Former is superior to the latter. 
Rulers may forget your service. In the hour of mis- 
fortune, they may despise you. It is well, therefore, 
to cherish the words which Shakespeare puts in the 
mouth of Woolsey : ** Had I served my God with one- 
half the zeal I have served my king, He would not in 
mv old age have left me naked to my enemies." 



TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER 
PENTECOST. 



And they laugh at Him. (St. Math. ix. — 24.) 

My Dear Friends : Among the many things which 
the Gospel for this Sunday imparts, is a useful lesson 
to the scoffer. The same cause which induced the 
crowd to laugh at our Divine Lord, still exists. What 
is it ? The answer is apparent. Ignorance is its cause. 
Persons not understanding the nature of some phenom- 
ena will scoff at the idea of anybody attempting an 
explanation of them ; or, if what transpires in their 
presence is not pleasing to their whimsical taste, it is 
ridiculed. Nor is the scoffer a development of modern 
times. You have already observed that he made him- 
self conspicuous about two thousand years ago, when 
Jesus went to the Ruler's house. Of course they knew 
that the girl was dead, and for anyone to say she only 
slept, was to them senseless. Their ignorance, how- 
ever, was in fault. They knew not the Divine Person 
Who stood in their midst. 

The Holy Scriptures, in speaking of the dead, often 
say they are only sleeping — sleeping until the resurrec- 
tion day, when all will be recalled to life. Although 
the girl was dead in the ordinary acceptation of the term, 
she was not absolutely dead so that she could not be 
restored to life by divine power, as St. Jerome and 



TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 339 

other commentators remark. And in her case as in 
that of all those who have been summoned to return to 
the living, the sentence passed immediately after death 
was suspended. This was an opportunity for Jesus to 
prove His divinity. The death of the Ruler's daughter 
was a means of promulgating the doctrine and power 
of Christ, — " the fame hereof went abroad i?ito all that coun- 
try "; and her restoration to life is a stinging rebuke 
to all scoffers. 

You have, no doubt, observed how some gibers ridicule 
the defects of others ; or what they, in their smartness, 
consider defects. They laugh at others, and amuse 
their friends and themselves by mimicking what their 
fastidious judgment espies. They can, as Dryden says, 

" The walk, the words, the gestures, could supply, 
The habit mimic and the mien belie. " 

If a person's nose is not just according to their 
notion, they must find fault and ridicule. If the mouth 
has not the proportions which their acute idea of 
beauty demands, the possessor suffers jibes at their 
discretion. If the eyes are not orbs of brilliancy and 
perfection, woe be to the poor unfortunate if he come 
under the lash of their tongues. If the young or aged 
have some defect in gait or speech, these connoisseurs 
must scoff, ridicule, and laugh. They are idlers who 
waste the precious time given them by Almighty God, in 
descrying the imperfections of their neighbors. They 
are usually a worthless set of scoffers who consider 
their judgments perfect and their persons without 
fault. Themselves and their listless, lazy mode of 
living are the best censures which can be administered 
to them. The most curious part of the whole affair is 
that they seldom note their own defects. It is strange, 



340 TWENTY-THIBD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

very strange, that we should have any scoffer ; for of 
all persons, the scoffer is the most exposed to derision. 
You never saw an intelligent well-formed man or 
woman ridicule anyone. A wise person would not do 
it, because wisdom and ignorance are antagonistic, and 
ignorance is the mother of scoffing, derision, and the 
like. 

It requires not the eye of a sage to detect scorn in 
the language of those whose ignorance did not allow 
them to see what distinguished inventors and discoverers 
at once saw and understood. When Columbus intro- 
duced his geographical faith among unbelievers, he 
met with scorn and derision. The scoffer called him an 
imaginative being — one demented, a visionary adven- 
turer. Any theory or plan colliding with that of the 
scoffer's must consequently be insane, foolish, and chi- 
merical. But what was the cause ? Ignorance ; ignorant 
conceit prevented them from giving any topic its due 
consideration. The renowned discoverer bade the New 
World to arise from its death-like sleep into new life, and 
gave it to mankind in all the health and richness of her 
pristine glory. He was the seer and not the scoffer. 
Mankind will ever remember him with undiminished 
gratitude. Centuries before, when Bacon, the monk, 
made his great inventions, shallow-hearted men not only 
refrained from praise, but snarled at the productions of 
genius. Centuries after the great navigator, Galileo, was 
laughed at because he dared to maintain the theory of 
the motions of the earth. His critics had more derision 
than brains. Posterit}^ with grateful remembrance, ap- 
plauds him and the friends who assisted him with money, 
as well as encouraged him by their fidelity. 

When the Colonists argued they should not be taxed 
without representation in British Parliament, they were 



TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 341 

not only derided by their enemies, but were called reb- 
els. Jeers were to be enforced by the cannon's mouth. 
Scorn and ridicule were belched forth at the poor, 
suppliant British subjects on this side of the Atlantic. 
England inflamed by her own ignorance, foresaw not 
the terrible retribution she was preparing for herself. 
The threatening clouds of war burst, drenching Great 
Britain with the gory results of her own ignorance. 
Neither jeer nor scorn, neither the scoffer nor eight 
years of bloody struggle, was sufficient to conquer a 
people who understood their rights and determined 
to maintain them. From the scoffing multitude arose 
a free country. 

While the scoffer is seen in every field of human 
endeavor, it is in affairs of religion he appears most con- 
spicuous. Of course he knows everything. Being thus 
qualified, he is as capable to assign a man a creed as he 
is ready to disdain a man who may have the honesty to 
differ with him. The Presbyterian derides the Metho- 
dist ; the Methodist the Presbyterian. The Baptist 
ridicules both ; and these in concert with all other 
denominations, rail at the Catholic Church. The reason, 
you ask ? Again my answer is, ignorance is the 
cause. To be sure, our Protestant friends know more 
about the Catholic religion than Catholics know. Cath- 
olics are a lamentable set of benighted fools. Our 
friends, in the broad sympathy of their hearts, pity us 
down-trodden, superstitious, idolatrous subjects of 
' Rome. The abominations of the confessional are clearly 
understood by them. The Sacrifice of the Altar is con- 
demned as barbarous. The crafty priest is at last placed 
under the glare of their search-light and all his wicked- 
ness exposed. Is it not sad that people should be thus 
so stupified by ignorance as to make such assertions ? 



342 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

Why do they not study our religion from our stand- 
point ? Why be misled v/hile they imagine themselves 
so wise ? Disrobe yourselves, we say to those, from all 
predjudice and bigotry. Give the subject the honest 
examination it deserves, and your derision will be con- 
verted into praise for the old Church. 

Protestants, as a class, are fair-minded, candid, im- 
partial in the things which they understand. It is in 
religious matters they make grave mistakes. Did they 
know better, they would shrink from doing so much 
injustice to the Catholic religion. When you speak with 
some of them, as we have done, you will discover their 
longing to learn more of Catholics and the Catholic 
religion. The frank, honest manner in which they will 
tell you they knew not better, will win your confidence 
as well as your admiration. There will be no quibble 
in their acknowledgment of ignorance. The A. P. A. 
(American Protective Association so called) and the 
Junior Order of American Mechanics are composed of 
fanatics who should not be numbered among respectable, 
broad-souled Protestants. But even these associations 
banded together to injure their fellow-men, are due to 
ignorance. In the oath taken by them, they solemnly 
swear in the presence of their God, to do all in their 
powerto prevent the election of a Catholic. Yea, more ; 
the oath obliges them to oppose everyone who is kindly 
disposed toward Catholics, and never to employ a Cath- 
olic in an)' business if any other person can be found 
to fill the position. The avowed purpose of these des- 
picable organizations is to ostracize Catholics from the 
social, political, and commercial world. They would 
have us understand, they are patriotic. Yet their con- 
duct is neither patriotic nor honest, nor according 
to the spirit of our Constitution. Such patriotism is 



TWENTY-THIRD 8UNDAY AFTER JPENTECOST. H4:S 

tyranny ; such fidelity to the laws of our country is 
rebellion ; such abolition of equitable principles is de- 
structive to enterprise, retards progress, begets religious 
rancor, and is inconsistent with the supreme law, whose 
Author is God. 

Now, while we condemn the scoffer, we ought to be 
careful to avoid becoming such ourselves. A Catholic 
should entertain views broad and honorable. While he 
pardons the ignorance of others, he must be careful 
not to indulge in the very same defects. But how often 
are some Catholics lacking in the high-minded, noble- 
souled principles which they admire in others. How 
many a Catholic sets a pernicious example not only to 
Protestants, but also to other Catholics. He, too, scoffs 
at things he does not comprehend. If we consider prej- 
udice or bigotry offensive in others, let us dissipate the 
same from our own hearts. To be Catholics we ought 
to be synonymous with everything pure and impartial. 
Still Catholics will stoop to do the meanest of acts. 
Regardless of everything sacred, he will sometimes 
promise, and in the v^ery act of promising will intend to 
do the contrary. He will attend Mass, and the very same 
da}% perhaps, the very same hour, injure or try to injure 
his neighbor. His own selfish greed will drive him to 
engage in transactions of which any honest man would 
be ashamed. Have you not seen such Catholics ? But 
you know that religion is not the cause. No, no ; it 
is ignorance. And these will ridicule a Catholic 
living in accordance with the divine precepts of his 
Church. In their own conceits they think they are 
smart, but they mistake ignorance for ability. A mal- 
icious liar or a scoffer you should spurn as a monstrosity 
of human nature. Keep away from his company ; he 
is a degraded mass of human corruption. Teach him 



344 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

that you despise his low, cunning, and debased character. 
By so doing, your conduct will not be unchristian, 
because he will learn thereby that his duplicity is 
contemptible and his scoffing disgraceful. 

Much of the reproach heaped upon the Church is the 
result of Catholics without principle and without charity. 
In all the affairs of life, our ambition must be to excel 
in what is good and virtuous, if we would dispel the clouds 
of prejudice hanging around us. Let us learn this 
lesson from the Gospel : never to despise anyone, not to 
deride where we do not understand ; not to laugh at the 
lowly ; but to stand upon the unchangeable foundations 
of charity to all men. Sincere we should be in our con- 
victions and faithful in their performance. Then you 
will be pleasing to your heavenly Father, and in the last 
moments of your life He will extend the paternal hand 
of His affections to you. You shall rise not to renewed 
temporal life, but to that life which is everlasting. 



LAST SUNDAY AFTER PFNTECOST. 



And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. 
(St. Maih. xxiv.— 30.) 

My Dear Friends: The General Judgment will be an 
event of awful import to the human race. Any trial 
is troublesome. When you have a lawsuit, you are 
anxious for a decision favorable to yourselves. You 
make every preparation, you leave nothing undone 
which may jeopardize your cause. On the day of 
trial you are feverish with anxiety and excitement, 
lest the case may be declared against you. But in the 
last trial, during which the Son of God will sit in judg- 
ment, there are involved decisions of the greatest im- 
portance. Whether you consider the vast number of 
persons concerned, the appalling consequences, or the 
eternal reward, you cannot find anything comparable 
to the General Judgment. Upon that decision depends 
everlasting misery, or endless happiness ; ceaseless 
tears, or incessant joys ; a life with Jesus forever, or 
a continuous privation of the presence of God. A 
skeptic may say : " Oh, this idea of a General Judgment 
is all bosh. I don^t believe anything of the kind. 
Time and again people have deceived themselves about 
this same topic. They imagined the end of the world 
near at hand. Some prophesied the day, but it came 

not. Away with the notion ! " 

345 



346 LAST SUNDAY AFTER I>ENTECOST. 

You must not, my Christian friends, overlook the fact 
that the Son of God has foretold the Judgment, and He 
says in this very chapter: " The heavens a?id the earth 
will pass away, but My words shall not pass azvay!' 
Which shall you believe; upon which will you rely — our 
Saviour, or a scoffer ? Moreover, while Noe was building- 
the ark according to the command of God, undoubtedly 
people were amazed at his work, and thought him fool- 
ish for constructing such a huge refuge from temporal 
dangers. They must have laughed at the notion. The 
whole earth to be destroyed, together with every living 
thing, except this insane builder and his family and the 
animals sheltered in the ark. This vast building to 
float on the waters, to rise above the highest mountains. 
Why, where would all this water come from? Such, my 
dear friends, we may suppose were the remarks made 
by the unbelievers in the days of Noe. Indeed, the re- 
marks upon this occasion were probably more rash and 
foolish than anything we could imagine. But the flood 
came as God had predicted, and the wicked were con- 
sumed in the angry waters. Thus also the General 
Judgment will come, although many may consider it a 
myth. As sure as you and I are here to-night, we shall 
stand in the presence of the Son of God to receive the 
sentence of condemnation, or the reward of heaven. 
And what an awful spectacle of black despair and of 
sublime glory will commingle in that scene. 

The angels of the Lord will go forth with a great 
trumpet to summon the elect from the four winds, 
from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost 
bounds of them. What a stupendous gathering of peo- 
ple shall be there! How various in form, how different in 
soul ! All the great ones of the earth — the kings and 
rulers of every age and nation, the scholar of every clime, 



LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 347 

pope and priest, rich and poor, all will there be collect- 
ed. For what ? For judgment ! The monarch at 
whose beck millions bowed, will be present. But 
where is the blaze of royalty? He is alone. No richly 
decorated retinue attends him. The crown and the 
throne are absent. His wnll was mighty. He was a 
god on earth ; but there he stands as humbled as the 
humblest. The beggar is as great as he, perhaps 
greater; for all that elevates a person then are his good 
works. His head is not bedecked with the diadem, 
but visible upon his brow are all the acts of tyranny, 
debauchery, and cruelty of his infamous reign. The 
rights of his subjects were considered as naught. He 
spoke, and they trembled ; he rebuked, and they suffered 
imprisonment or death. He fancied there was none 
so great as he ; but now behold him, shorn of his pomp 
and power ! How low, how disregarded ! In the pres- 
ence of his God, he sinks into insignificance. His con- 
dition is shared by all those who were mighty or ruled, 
but who abused their power or governed with haughti- 
ness and injustice. 

In that vast throng, where are the cruel wealthy 
arrayed? You would not know them were it not for 
all the sins of which opulence was the cause. The 
wail of the orphan and the widow and the wronged rises 
to the Throne of Justice against them. How many burn- 
ing tears they have caused to be shed ! How many 
have they oppressed? Wealth was might, and might 
was right. But the curses which an outraged people 
heaped upon them, were heard by the Avenger of the 
weak and the lowly. Where now is their power, where 
their riches, where their pride and ostentation? All 
have perished. They are unattended. They learn 
that God alone is great. 



348 LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

Assembled for judgment are parents who hurl mal- 
edictions upon the heads of their offspring. It was 
he who worked his father's or mother's ruin. 
The child in turn utters imprecations against the 
parent. Ah ! had my parents trained me to habits 
of virtue ; had they kept me from bad company ; had 
they taught me to pray ; had they led me on the path 
to heaven, — I would not now be seen on the way to hell. 
The husband will curse the wife, and the wife the hus- 
band ; for they have been each others spiritual ruin. 
But, oh, the awful thought 1 What will be the punishment 
for those who have murdered their unborn offspring ? 
who were cruel enough to destroy life with a mother's 
hand ? A mother who should die for her child ; a mother, 
the ideal of affection, heartlessly besmearing her hand 
with the blood of the helpless, is an appalling thought. 

In that numberless assembly will be those who will 
crave for vengeance to be inflicted upon the heads of mon- 
sters of impurity, who doomed them to a life of shame 
on earth, and effected the eternal damnation of their 
souls. Pure she was and innocent when first he seduced 
her to sin. Her aspirations were lofty. The future 
was promising. The smiles of health and beauty were 
on her countenance ; on her brow, sincerity, modesty, 
and honor. Life was budding into summer — a summer of 
happiness, peace, and innocence. But, alas! from all 
this she turned away, to listen to the flattery of him 
who meditated her ruin. She fell ; perhaps rose again, 
only to sink deeper into the meshes of impurity ; she 
had broken away from the anchor of innocence. There 
was soon no restraint. In turn, she allured others into 
sin. Thousands were destroyed by her fall, and now 
she invokes maledictions upon her malicious destroyer. 
She sees how much is lost and nothing gained, save 



LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 349 

that she will continue during eternity to curse the 
scoundrel whose bewitching tongue and bland smiles 
robbed her of peace and effected her wretchedness. 
She thought him honorable. He had a suave demeanor. 
It was the subtility of the serpent. He gloried in his 
conquest. Among his associates he boasted of his dam- 
nable deeds. He was not one who had struggled with 
temptations, fought them back, prayed in order to 
conquer ; or in an unprotected moment fell a victim to 
allurements of mighty temptations. No ; his ambition 
was to pollute purity ; his greatest glory, the des- 
truction of others. 

But on the other hand is the young man who was 
ensnared by a false woman's charms. He was a noble 
youth, ignorant of the infernal way of the bad. The 
pride of his parents and his friends, his every motive 
was stamped with the seal of honor and manliness. 
The emotions of the heart stimulated to high resolve. 
He was ambitious ; but his ambition was worthy of 
a great-minded, noble-hearted young man. Fortune 
caressed him ; a bright future beckoned him on. But 
there he stands now a picture of despair and remorse. 
He had magnificent talents, but he abused them. His 
soul was once spotless, but now it is tarnished with 
the foulness of crime. Dejected and alone he stands. 
Misery has claimed him for her own. He knows his 
fate, and bitterly laments his awful misfortune. 

Around about him is a hideous group. Drunkards 
who died in their sins. Cursing God they breathed 
their last breath ; nor have they ceased to blaspheme 
His holy name. There is the murderer with his dagger 
reeking with the blood of his helpless victim. It was 
an instrument of destruction, now it is a witness of His 
horrible crime. His victim is in his presence. The 



350 LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 

death wound pleads with irresistible eloquence for jus- 
tice. With more than human power it tells of the fatal 
blow. How he prayed for pity and for life, but both 
were denied him. He was cut off in his sin. Now he 
is damned, and torture gives vehemence to his appeals. 
How can the murderer expect mercy? He gave none. 
His victim's doom is sealed. Can he expect pardon, 
who deprived a human being of life and despoiled him 
of the opportunities of repentance and salvation. 

All, however, are not bad who are gathered there. 
The saints and martyrs and all those who lived a 
pious life, rejoice in the happiness to be possessed for 
eternity. The martyrs' wounds are now their glory. 
These are proofs of noble lives and heroic deaths ; all 
the virtuous are overjoyed. Their suffering on earth 
is now considered nothing. Their trials and sufferings 
and anguish are to be rewarded with an endless life 
with their Creator. The palm of victory is theirs, and 
the crown of immortality is the compensation for their 
tireless efforts in the service of God. It is beyond my 
power to describe to you the heavenly enthusiasm with 
which they will be filled upon that occasion. But it is 
important for us to ponder well the consequences of 
this last trial, as the interests of all the human race are 
involved, and ask ourselves : On what side shall we be 
after the irrevocable decree goes forth ? We shall 
surely be present, but what will be the sentence ? Will 
it be : Ceme forth, ye blessed of My Father ; or, Depart, 
ye cursed o?ies ? 

While all are awaiting the close of the final act in 
the great drama of human existence, the sun grows 
pale, the moon is darkened, the stars fall from the 
heavens, and all Nature seems convulsed at the over- 
awing scene to be enacted. In the midst of this cop- 



LAST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. 351 

sternation the Son of God appears with great power 
and majesty. Not weak and haggard as He was on 
Calvary, but surrounded with all the glory of heaven. 
The good will move to welcome Him Who is the source 
of all their joy, and for Whom they bore all wrongs, 
insults, and even death, with remarkable fortitude. The 
very damned will admit His goodness and love for 
the human race. Their greatest torture will be the 
consciousness of the loss of One Who had an infinite 
attachment for all mankind. They will acknowledge 
their damnation is to be attributed to none but them- 
selves ; and will curse themselves on account of their 
ingratitude toward the fountain of all mercy and 
charity. 

As the Saviour of mankind looks out upon that 
immense concourse of people, and sees so many who 
have blasphemed against Him, who have wronged them- 
selves and others ; in a word, as He beholds all who have 
violated His laws and spurned His mercies, He pro- 
nounces the sentence of endless joy and everlasting 
sorrow. The cause of this joy or this despair is largely 
due to our own conduct. It is ourselves who compel 
Him, according to justice, an attribute of His nature, to 
declare us guilty, if guilty we be. And on that solemn 
occasion we shall, no doubt, understand this better than 
we do now, although now we are not ignorant of the 
fact that God cannot save us without our own co- 
operation. Let us strive then to follow Jesus faithfully 
through life, that on the Last Day we may have the 
inexpressible pleasure of following Him to His eternal 
mansion. Let us, too, invoke the prayers of Mary, 
that she may lift us when we fall, and by her prayers 
be assisted in obtaining those eternal joys for which 
we were created, 



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